TBT
by VelaEridanus
Summary: Sakura just wants to get her adult life together, but life rarely does things the way you want it. She finds herself being put under the care of Sasuke Uchiha in the Witness Protection Program, an aspiring detective that she had a one night stand with years ago. Is this fate giving her a second chance? Sasuke doesn't even remember. Or does he? SasxSak
1. Bagels

**Hello peeps, I have gone through and corrected some spelling mistakes. Enjoy!**

 **You may be wondering 'Vela, what is this? I thought you had other things to focus on?'**

 **Well, my dear readers, I felt the need to deter. I wanted a story that was less fantastical and more...grounded. More relatable, I guess. This popped into my head and I needed to see it through. But only if it does well. So here we go!**

 **Sakura is fresh out of college and starting her adult life, filled with lost of needles and paperwork. She's a woman who's accomplished more than others at 23, but her love life is practically nonexistent. Until she runs into handsome Sasuke Uchiha, an aspiring detective that years ago she had a one night stand with. Suddenly, she can't get away from him physically or mentally when she comes under his care in a witness protection program after getting involved in a strange situation. Is this fate giving her a second chance? He doesn't even remember her. Or does he?**

 **Chapter 1: Bagels**

* * *

I absolutely hated Walmart.

Well, not necessarily _Walmart_. I liked the large selection and cheap things to buy. In fact, I would go here a lot more often for all this shit if I could stand it.

So why, pray tell, would I hate Walmart?

For the fucking people, of course.

It's like this superstore has its own brand of these humanoids. Walmart people. Where wearing sleeping pants out in broad daylight and foregoing a bra even though your titties are sagging down to your waist is an acceptable and grotesquely regular thing here. And it got worse, it really did. I can avert my eyes when I'm grocery shopping; I'm on a mission, and I don't give a fuck about other people or how many teeth they're missing.

But then you get stuck behind one, and it's like road rage without cars.

I purposefully seek out the uninhabited isles, because once somebody parks their cart, it is over. They'll be camping out there for at least 20 minutes, mulling over minuscule things or talking on their phone not even properly checking out the eggs they're grabbing. Or, or, they've found one of their buddies and have stopped. Right. In. the. Middle. Of. The. Lane.

Holy fuck, just no. Because they are oh so conveniently placed right where the item you're looking for is. You casually stand there or ask them to move, and they give you that 'look.' Not the 'oh I'm sorry for being insensitive, here let me move my cart' look. The 'bitch, why you enteruptin' me when I tellin' my homegirl about my beef with her baby daddy?' look. I've gone home multiple time without vital food groups for this exact reason. I understand that there are all kinds of people, and they are raised differently, but hot damn. Some parents skipped the 'be polite, or I'll beat you' lesson with their children.

So, I go for the open aisles. But sadly, that doesn't work either.

Because I have shit luck.

As soon as I make it to my desired destination, they swarm like a flock of zombies. They sense that there is intelligent life near and they have to snuff it out. It's like they're clawing away at my brain. Figuratively. Because they don't have their own. And I hear this buzzing noise (caused by sheer irritation) suddenly, as they gather and listen to them talk or argue with their kids, and even I wanna rip my hair out, open my skull and just give it to them myself so I can stop being surrounded by idiocy. I can feel my brain cells dying the longer they linger.

And now, as I sit here surrounded by yellow caution tape and policemen with knocked over shelves and preserved goodies, I've found an entirely new reason to hate Walmart.

* * *

It all started with bagels.

Or more specifically, the fact that I had none in my apartment. And as I moped around my kitchen, craving bagels but trying to find something else to satisfy my hunger, I found a substantial lack of food in my fridge and cupboards. I immediately cursed; had it really been so long since I'd gone grocery shopping?

I started to suspect that Naruto might've gone on a raid the last time he was here because my secret stash of gummy worms and chocolate hidden in the pantry above the fridge was gone as well. Naruto was the only one tall enough to get to it; Ino wouldn't touch chocolate, and as far as I knew I was the only one that truly knew of its existence.

Until Naruto made a sweep of the kitchen, it seems.

Unless I wanted to starve tonight and for tomorrow for breakfast, I needed to go to the grocery store. I had nothing better to do anyways besides some paperwork; I had the weekend off. Slipping on a pair of jeans and a dark gray jacket over my tank, I made my way over to the counter to swipe my keys and very feminine wallet. I went to check the time on my phone and cursed. It was past 10 o'clock. Almost everything was already closed at this hour.

So, my option was Walmart.

I almost opted to go hungry instead. But I made my way out of the apartment and to my awaiting white Avenger, hoping I could just get in and get out with what I needed.

Bagels were the first on my agenda. They were the whole reason I was here, after all, I'd be damned if I forgot them.

My first thoughts were that I didn't mind Walmart at night and that I might come more often at this time. There wasn't as nearly as many people here, and while some people's weirdness intensified at the lack of numbers, they left me alone, and I was perfectly fine with that.

My first mistake was breaking my own rule.

When I rounded the corner to the bread isle, I encountered two ladies. One examining the buns, and one just coming down the aisle from the other side. I was ready to turn around and do a lap for other stuff before I came back, but it felt utterly ridiculous. I was an adult, wasn't I? So, with new found courage and head held high, I marched my way down the aisle towards my desired object. The selection process would be easy; I just wanted some squishy, plain bagels. That was it. No conflicts over flavors or brands. A quick grab and go would work.

Life rarely worked out the way I wanted to.

I heard a couple raised voices as I made my way to where the bagels were, and upon inspection, I found that the woman that had just come down the aisle had made a beeline towards the woman checking out how soft type A buns compared to type B buns. I turned back to my task at hand, but as the voices escalated so did my anxiety. There bustling would only cause more attention, and I didn't want to be trapped in some random feud in the bread aisle as two women venomously bickered back and forth.

As soon as I pulled out my selected bag of bagels, I saw the first swing out of the corner of my eye.

My head snapped to the left as I watched a woman lunge out of her motorized cart (why is she in that if she can do that!?). She quickly grabbed a fistful of the other woman's hair (it was practically a handle since it was in a high floppy bun) and any piece of skin she could get her hands on. My instinctive fight or flight response was to get the fuck out of there because Walmart people were crazy. The honest, law abiding citizen in me told me that it was now my responsibility to stop this scrap before it got too intense. After all, I couldn't properly live with myself if I ran since I had been here when this started and did nothing. Classic bystander effect. I would be just as guilty of what was happening if I didn't at least try to help.

Curse my good nature.

So I dropped my bagels, out of my hands but not out of my heart, and proceeded towards the two tumbling women on the floor.

They were rolling on the ground, limbs flinging every which way as I slowly walked up to them. An old man passing by stopped to watch the spectacle in awe. "Go get help!" I yelled to him, and he glanced at me and nodded before briskly walking off. Hopefully getting an employee or someone in charge. Maybe he was pretending to care; I didn't know.

I wasn't sure to go about this. I had never been in charge of breaking up a fight before. Heck, I had never been in one, if you disclose my violent outbreaks toward Naruto. Am I supposed to yell at them? Tell them to stop? Use your words?

They rolled closer, and the skinny girls head almost landed on my foot. "Hey! Stop it!" I yelled with the most authoritative voice I could muster. But to no avail. I stumbled back as a kick flew at me, and they continued their fight completely ignoring my presence.

People were starting to gather, and my irritation was steadily rising to anger. All I wanted was some fucking bagels before I go through a complete migraine tomorrow with all the shit I had to do. I still had plenty of paperwork I had to go through before returning them back to Tsunade, and even if she had given me the weekend off I knew she expected them to be on her desk promptly on Monday morning. This was mountains of papers I was talking about-

-I wasn't quick enough as another leg shot out and kicked me in the shin-

My anger peaked. I hated people at this moment and cursed my stomach for its constant demand for food!

A whole crowd had formed already, but I was over whatever cat fight this was.

"That's it!" I vented. I grabbed onto the skinny chick and pulled. Hard.

She flew back with a gasp and smacked onto the shelves, sliced bread falling on top of her in the process. I had always been unnaturally strong for a girl, hence no one had ever picked a fight with me before.

Oops.

I immediately went to back up, but the girl was flying again as the chubbier woman got up to meet her halfway. This was ridiculous. And now, I realized, I was standing right in the middle about to be intercepted by two infuriated women.

I couldn't duck out in time.

I got caught in this gaggle fuck of Walmart women, desperately trying to fight my way out while protecting my face when I heard shouting in the distance. 'The cavalry's here!' I rejoiced. I freed my legs, attempting to pull myself out of this fight, to which I still had no clue why they were fighting when I heard a bystander (called it; bystander effect) said something about the police heading this way.

I should've been happy that the police were coming to break this thing up until I realized that I would most likely be arrested with these women because now I was involved. Fuck no; that was not on my agenda, and I was not gonna waste my night at the station. I began violently pushing and shoving, anything to break me from the rumble. Finally, I yanked myself out successfully, but the momentum from the force of everything threw me back, and I toppled over into a makeshift tower. Luckily (Ha! Sarcasm) for me, it was a tower of tubs of apple juice.

I got soaked.

And that's how the police found me at the scene; ass out stuck in a fallen mess of apple juice as the two women behind me continued to battle it out on a wet floor.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. You are a bystander-"

'There's that word again.' I innocently nodded my head.

"here to get…"

"Bagels, sir." I clarified.

He stopped writing in his pad, looking up to regard me for only a moment. I couldn't tell if he was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth, or if he was internally laughing at my shitty luck. It was only a split second before he was looking down and jogging more notes down.

"Bagels, when you noticed the commotion, and instead of calling the police you decided you'd jump in and handle it yourself?" He questioned. I gulped. He regarded me again with his dark obsidian eyes, taking in my dripping hair and clothes. I must've looked ridiculous, but at least I smelled like fructose corn syrup and apple extract.

His tone wasn't quite accusatory, more like an interested inquiry. But his eyes remained hard and blank; there was no give to what emotions were going through him at the moment. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu from the look he gave me, a familiar feeling washing through my body, but quickly dismissed it. I'd never had a run in with the cops before this, so I was pretty sure I'd never gotten this hard scolding gaze.

"I told someone else to get help. I couldn't just leave them tousling there in good conscious." I mumbled, looking away just in time to miss an amused smirk grace his lips.

I was only trying to do something good; I should've just swiped my bagels and said deuces. I knew Walmart people were nuts.

I look back up as I hear him snap his little book shut; he's no longer looking at me, and instead peering over to look at how the other interviews are going. He's standing directly in front of me as I sit there, leaning on a table. I take the chance to look at him.

And I find that he's utterly gorgeous. He has a strong jawline and a long regal nose, with a Jensen mouth and dark ebony hair falling into his eyes. He stands tall, probably over 6 foot, and looks like he keeps in great shape, from the defined biceps I can see underneath the sleeves. I sneak a glance at his name tag. 'Uchiha?'

Another flash of déjà vu hits me, and bells start to ring in my head. That name means something.

Again I pass it off. Everybody knows the Uchiha's run the police station in Konoha. I think the commissioner is even an Uchiha; the job basically runs in the family.

Maybe that's why he feels so familiar because all the Uchiha's have a hard look about them.

I resist a squeak when his eyes flicker back to me, checking to make sure I'm still staying put. Our interview should be over now, but he hasn't moved away. Maybe he is going to cuff me and take me downtown after all. I feel a groan erupt in my head. Great, just great. This is what I get for meddling-

"What's your name again?" He asks suddenly. His voice is deep and smooth, and I take my sweet time replying as a savor the sound.

"Sakura Haruno," I reply as sweet as possible, giving him a small smile.

So what if I might be trying to flirt with a policeman? Maybe I could convince him to let me go, and if not, well, he wasn't half bad to look at. I just couldn't resist. This time I saw the ends of his mouth quirk into a small grin. Well, it wasn't a number, but it was certainly something. Maybe I was beginning to like Walmart after all.

"You can go Ms. Haruno, but I'm gonna need your information in case we have more questions to ask you." He says curtly and hands me a small piece of paper and a pen. I jot down my name, number, and address and hand it back to him gingerly.

"Yo! Sasuke! We need you over here!" I hear another officer yell, and the name sends a jolt within me.

He regards the other man before politely saying, "Have a nice night." And walking under the yellow tape and away from me.

She gasped loudly, hands flying to her mouth to stifle the noise. I whip my head around to see if anyone else heard the sharp sound. No one, I have my chance to escape with the last shred of dignity I have.

I quickly scatter, my mind playing a mantra over and over again, 'shit shit shit shit shit!'

I make it out of the store and into my car. And then I sit there, eyes wide and mouth agape.

SMACK

I groan as my forehead hits the steering wheel, throbbing dully. I should've realized. I definitely should have realized who he was as soon as I saw him. But he was older, and his hair was different, and I was still so preoccupied with what had gone on.

My hand flew to my phone and dialed a number I knew by heart. It slightly shook as it rang once, twice, then thrice.

I didn't even give her time to speak as I heard her pick up.

"Ino, Ino, Ino, Ino!" Everything was on repeat in my brain, now that I'd managed to escape with a piece of it.

"Woah, calm down. What's up with you?" She asked. I could hear a slight edge of panic, which was understandable because I had never freaked this bad before.

"It was him, oh my god, and he saw me soaked in apple juice!" I smacked my head on my steering wheel again, a long BEEP! erupting from my car.

"Wait- what? What they fuck did you do? And who is he?"

"I just saw Sasuke fucking Uchiha!" I shrieked, and the line fell silent.

"….holy shit. My place. No buts. Now." Ino drawled, leaving no room for arguments as she hung up on me. I let my phone slip from my fingers and fall who the fuck knows where as I reveled in my embarrassment.

Why was Sasuke fucking Uchiha so important? He was just a man, right? Right?

Wrong. Because he was the one and only man I had ever, ever, allowed myself to have a one night stand with.

I take my previous statement back; I am never returning to Walmart.

* * *

 **Dun dun dun!**

 **Oh, Sakura, your luck is so terrible. And why would you ever pass up another chance at a man like Sasuke? What exactly happened?**

 **R &R plz!**


	2. Why Not?

**Hello Again! First, to answer some reviews:**

 **Guest: yes, I guess there is a little rant about Walmart. That's how I'm trying to design Sakura as a character though. A nervous ranter that never has things go her way, in her opinion.**

 **Ilovefinn924: yes, yes it is. And trust me, I've seen all those things actually in Walmart. Needless to say sometimes I can't get away from having to do something in there though.**

 **Guest: I have removed the Ts, and I made the discovery of the horizontal line function on the doc, so thank you! It does look much more appealing and I've always wondered how to do that.**

 **To jen1490 and Waterlilly333: I'm glad you find it interesting. I hope you keep me updated on how you like how things go!**

 **I feel like I'm going to kind of split up scenes of a flashback, so you're not bored and getting the whole thing at once. It also make the effect of understanding more as the story goes on.**

 **Sakura is a very capable and competent working woman, but she's more shy and insecure in her personal life. At the same time, she can be personable and loud around those she'd close too. Sasuke is very similar when it comes to work personality, but he's very much more comfortable in his own skin and is quiet by choice. I think they will complement each very well. Hopefully I can give the romance justice.**

 **P.S. Did I use Jensen Ackles as a reference for his perfect lips being modeled on Sasuke? Yes, yes I did. I have the biggest crush on that man.**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Mafia

 _Flashback to 5 years ago_

" _Oi Sakura! What are you doing here?" I heard a loud shout rising up across the thick crowd._

 _I spotted his spiky yellow hair a mile away. Naruto barreled towards the entrance I was standing at, pushing through people to get to me. I laughed at his lopsided grin and smell of ramen and alcohol as he surrounded me in a crushing hug. I pushed him off, giving him a cheeky smile of my own._

" _What? Am I not allowed to come to parties or something?" I joked. Naruto's hands flew out in front of him as he hurriedly apologized._

" _No no no, that's not what I meant at all! It's just…well, it's that.." Naruto was bumbling over his own words, and I couldn't help but laugh at him again. Naruto was goofy, loud, and the definition of warm. I reached out with a single hand, watching as he flinched ready for a hard punch in the shoulder. I rested a reassuring hand on his chest instead. He glowered at me._

" _Naruto, I was kidding. I wanna get out and have some fun too, ya know?" Naruto's panicked frown quickly flipped to his bright smile and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head._

" _Hey! Leave the girl alone, we're here to hang with some serious hotties and your totally chasing them away." Ino announced from behind me, handing me a can of beer. Ino was wearing a purple crop top and a black mini skirt with heels. She was more comfortable in these type of outfits than I was._

 _I took a peek down at my attire and instantly regretted it._

 _Let me pick your clothes, Ino said. It'll be fun, Ino said._

 _I scoffed. More like revealing._

 _Naruto must've been thinking the same thing as he stared. It wasn't the innocent 'I have a crush on you stare' he usually gave me in school. It was the 'holy shit I didn't realize you had such a nice ass' look. I wasn't sure if I should take it as a compliment or not. Ino would say yes, so that's what I'm going with._

" _Come on Sakura, let's show that sexy little number off!" Ino piped, tugging me forcefully away from Naruto. He didn't seem to mind at the moment._

" _I'll catch you later!" He yelled, and winked before turning and disappearing into the crowd._

 _It wasn't that I didn't like parties; I was fine with having some fun. It's just that it wasn't what I normally considered my type of fun. Hanging with the girls eating pizza and wings and yelling at the TV was fun. Daring each other weird shit at night, and watching Tenten sneak out of Neji's room with a pair of surprisingly colorful boxers was fun. Bonfires where people dance and play beer pong and make up ridiculous stories was even on my list of fun. But this was a different type of bonfire for me._

 _The girl staring back at me was blonde, with dyed blue ends. She was smiling in the picture and was holding the peace sign up. Her eyes had a heavy cat eye on her upper lid and thick rimmed glasses, like it was the popular thing to do at that time. She wore a lot of jewelry. There was 4 bracelets on each of her wrists and a couple necklaces encircling her scrawny neck._

 _There, staring back at me, was my lock necklace. Or rather, Kiba's half of our couple's necklace. Mine had been a key, but I had already thrown it away._

 _I had thought it was a ridiculous thing, couples necklaces, but Kiba had wanted them. He thought I was into that cute type of shit, or maybe he was trying too hard to convince me that he loved me. Of course, I was the one that wasted my money on them._

 _And now, his half was resting on another girl that had her titties pushed to the max and her tank drawn way too low. I wonder if she knew that he had regifted it, and that I was the one sharing a relationship necklace with her._

 _It seemed that Ino had found me hiding in the corner; she swiped my phone out of my hands and looked for herself. She was ready to lecture me on surfing facebook instead of mingling like I said I would. As soon as she saw the picture her glossed mouth stopped short and her eyes grew wide at the picture._

" _Bastard…" I heard her whisper. She gave one sympathetic look at me and shut my phone off right away. She stuffed it in her purse, determined to distract me from the drama. It was what this whole night was about; to distract me from my failed relationship and put my heart at ease._

" _You'll find someone better Sakura; someone who doesn't treat you like nothing." She promised me._

 _Kiba and I had started dating the beginning of junior year after homecoming. He had the reputation of a good guy, as far as I knew. When we first started dating I had thought that as well. He had been one for holding my hands and complimenting how pretty he thought I was._

 _Due to recent events, I didn't know what I had ever seen in him._

" _I'm glad you realized what he was really like and broke up with that idiot, but you can't let him get to you Sakura." Ino said, giving me a reassuring squeeze on my shoulder. She knew that finding out about him cheating had come close to destroying me inside. Love had nothing to do with it, I had been mistaken the first week when I thought I was heartbroken. It was more like my hope had broken. My belief about loyalty and commitment had disintegrated. The guarantee that good guys would never hurt you shattered._

 _Ino had always told me that he had never been a good guy. He'd just hidden his real wolfy nature, and that his true colors were a shit rainbow._

" _Your right Ino." I sighed, nodding my head in agreement. I had always been that dreamy eyed girl that believed in a cute, wholesome relationship. I needed to get over my little romance trip. Or out of this feeling sorry for myself cycle. Kiba and I had officially broken up months ago, and I'd finally cut it off with him a month ago when he pathetically tried to play me again._

" _Were gonna find you a hot college guy." Ino wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Maybe we can get you out of that cute little shell and turn you into a sex demon."_

" _Ino!" We both giggled._

 _I sighed and gave her a small smile. She was making me feel better, but so far nothing had been able to get rid of the inner turmoil deep in my belly._

" _Besides, I think a certain super hottie Sasuke Uchiha staring this way." Ino whispered, leaning over to glance somewhere. I glanced to the direction she was looking in to see she was right._

 _Sasuke was casually leaning on the counter, jack and coke in hand as he talked with a group of guys. He was simply dressed, with jeans, a gray button up shirt that was open, and a tight black tank underneath. I felt my eyes gloss at the beautiful sight he was. The way he was leaning on the counter made his button-up shirt fall away from his body. His tank wasn't tight, but I could see the evidence of set pack of abs and a lean body underneath._

 _His hair was like it usually was, a controlled mess of spikes as his bangs framed his angular face. His dark long lashes made his eyes more prominent, but his eyes held the true power. They were a dark misty grey, edging on a sharp ebony. They were the type of eyes that could pierce your soul, like they knew what you were thinking before you did._

 _Quick and calculating. Intimidating and smoldering._

 _And true to Ino's word, he was looking right at us._

 _Sasuke was a big no-no in my book. He was already starting his second year at KU being 2 years older. The man was the personification of sex; a total heart breaker. The first I had heard about him was from Naruto. Naruto was a year older than Ino and I, but we had all gone to middle school together and grown close. Naruto had always told me about his friend he had known since birth, and that they were nothing alike. He told me of his adventures with his daring friend Sasuke, who went to a school across town. But I didn't know how…experienced he was until the summer before high school._

 _Just days before my admittance into high school, the stories changed. Adventurous tales of his daring childhood friend turned into warnings of 'steer clear of Sasuke, he likes women.'_

 _Some stories were pretty...graphic, to say the least._

 _Coming in as fresh meat, I followed Naruto's advice. I kept my distance from the popular junior Sasuke Uchiha. But that didn't mean I would be rude if he did talk to me; I liked to think I was above judging a book by its cover. There were few time we conversed; everything he said, even insulting, was like salted caramel. A little bit of tang but smooth through and through. He was definitely the type that women fell all over, and he lapped it up like warm milk. He was talking to girls every week, but he didn't date them. Not really. He wasn't serious about them, and just wanted to have a bit of fun._

 _Which was fine, honestly trying not to judge here, but not my type. There were days that I thought that I thought his face was too narrow and he was on the skinny side. There were other days where I thought that his long lashes made his eyes glisten and the bone structure in his face was handcrafted by the gods. Most days I opted to try not think about him and just get through high school._

 _I don't know what it was, but I couldn't find myself blaming him for broken hearts. I was all for the sisterhood between women and protecting each other and shit. But, it was to an extent. What you saw was what you got with Sasuke, he never tried to pretend to be anything he wasn't. Everyone knew who he was and he never tried to hide his rep. Girls knew that he would draw you into bed and kick you out before you got the chance to wrap your arms around his neck for some after sex cuddling. It was a common thing and he never denied it._

 _What Sasuke did was fucking; and I heard that he was really good at it. Not sex, not making love, but a good fuck with a girl he had no attachments with. He didn't promise them anything more._

 _So maybe the girls weren't being too smart. Or they couldn't resist, same dif._

 _That was how I used to think about random hook ups. Now it was years later. I had graduated from high school and we were going to be starting at Konoha University in a month. Kiba was immature; he was still high school level._

 _Now, as I unabashedly stared into his dark eyes, I got it. The feel to be wanted and drown in the passion without a second thought._

 _End Flashback_

* * *

Ino opened the door so fast I saw the whoosh of her golden hair fly up. She must've been waiting at the door for my arrival. I'd barely gotten the first knock in before my knuckles were brushing air instead of wood. She caught my fist-formed hand and pulled me in, causing me to stumble as she slammed the door behind me.

I let Ino drag me to her couch, where she sat me down and started her interrogation.

"Tell me everything, and don't leave a single thing out." She demanded.

And so I did. My hatred for Walmart, my desire for bagels, the two chicks going at it and my conscious going wild, the run-in(more like falling) with the apple juice. And then the handsome policemen, shameless flirting, and the embarrassing realization of who he was.

I let out a large groan and sank deep into the couch. My hands flew to my face, squeezing my cheeks and letting out a huff.

Ino let out a boisterous laugh as she sat down opposite next to me.

"You're such a great friend, laughing at my misfortunes." I grumbled, pouting. Ino waved her hand dismissively my way.

"Man, you have shitty luck. I would never want to run into Sasuke Uchiha looking like that." Ino said, gesturing to my current appearance. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and huffed.

"I didn't walk in like this Ino-pig."

I looked like a drowned kitten. My shorts were still damp, and kept chaffing as I sped my way over here. I had seen in the rearview mirror that my hair was curling and frizzing from the drying apple juice in it. My mascara hadn't ran until I escaped Walmart, thank goodness. My tank top had dried on the way over here, but I have no doubt that it was see through when I was talking to Sasuke.

My cheeks stained red. _'Did he notice?'_ I wondered briefly.

Ino was right, I had shitty luck. I really did.

Ino reached out and slapped a hand to my thigh, jolting me out of my daze. She was leaning towards me, looking at me with sly eyes.

"You thinking about hooking up with him again? He did ask for your number after all." Ino asked.

I gasped like it was the most scandalous thing I had ever heard.

"No!" I shouted, causing her to shoot back from the sudden increase in volume. She stuck a finger in her ear to check and make sure her hearing was okay. She pouted, jutting out her bottom lip and scrunching her nose.

"Why the hell not?" She demanded.

A frustrated groan escaped my lips. "Because, that's just not...me. It was a one-time thing, and I won't do it again. Besides, I highly doubt he recognized me. Or want to do it again." I said, looking away from her questioning stare.

Ino continued. "What? Sakura, he had to. Who else does he know that has pink hair?"

"The fuck if I know." I scoffed. I wouldn't put it past him if he didn't remember what I looked like. It was dark, and we'd both been drinking. I'd slipped out as soon as I could without making an embarrassing scene. I wasn't gonna give him a chance to hurt my feelings.

I heard rustling as Ino scooted closer, taking in my dampened (lol, punny) mood and downcast eyes.

Ino attempted to make light of it, giving my hands a squeeze. I looked into her sky blue eyes. She rose a suggestive eyebrow and said, "You know you can sleep with me anytime you want, forehead." She gave me a wink.

I laughed so hard I snorted.

* * *

I had a love hate relationship with running. I had always been a good sprinter in high school and college, but now that my athletic career was over I had converted to mileage. It was one way to try and keep in shape and let my mind wander free. Problem was, my attention span seriously sucked along with my stamina.

Today, I loved it. It was exhilarating and I could feel the power flowing through me just like I used to when I was competing. It was Monday, but it was going surprisingly well. I had finished all the paperwork over the weekend, and Tsunade had given me a small praise before going back to her own stack. My appointments had gone well, a couple checkups for some kids for school and nothing too extreme. Working under Tsunade could be hectic most days, she was a famed doctor and everybody came to her because of it. Which meant with me being her apprentice, I was busy as fuck most of the time.

Today had been so refreshing though; I had almost forgotten about the incident Saturday night.

Key word: almost.

I should've noticed who he was; no one looked like Sasuke Uchiha did (except his family obviously). His police cap had been hiding most of it, but it looked as though his midnight hair was longer now. It floated a couple inches above his broad shoulders. He'd always had a strong jawline and prominent cheekbones, but his face had lost the boyish glow it had growing up. But the eyes were still as sharp, and he kept his face cleanly shaven showing off that masculine chin and mouth.

I took in a small gasp of air as I stopped at my second mile. I took some deep breaths as I put my hands overhead and walked over to my car. Two miles was enough, right? As long as my ass didn't deflate, seeing as it was the only thing I had going for me.

I bristled as the engine roared to life and I drove off the trail back to my apartment. I needed to calm down; thinking about him this way did no good. Chances are he'd file my info and then I'd never hear from again; like how one night stands were supposed to work. Right? I had other things going on in my life. I was sweaty and hungry; my mind should be on a shower and some of that ramen I had just bought. Naruto was really rubbing off on me. Curse him.

Was Naruto still friends with him? I haven't heard him talk about him for a long time. Probably since my freshman year of college…

No. Bad Sakura. I thought you were going to stop thinking about him?

But I realized as the elevator dinged and I walked out on to my floor that it would be impossible at this moment.

Because there he was, standing in front of my apartment door only 20 feet in front of me.

* * *

Sasuke was in his police uniform, dark navy pants and a blue short-sleeve collared shirt with his badge on it. His muscles were on full display for my hungry eyes; they were naturally flexed from his crossed arms in front of his chest.

The only thing imperfect about Sasuke Uchiha in high school was his backside, or rather his lack thereof. However, looking at him now, it appeared from his slightly tight pants that he'd filled out better in that area since he'd gotten older, along with a bigger chest and biceps…

He seemed to be waiting rather patiently right in front of my door.

I had 2 options; approach him all sweaty in my workout clothes or casually back-walk into the elevator and hide out downstairs and drink all their tea until he leaves.

His head tilted slightly in my direction, and he lazily glanced over and catching my eyes with those dark misty orbs. I had a sneaking suspicion that he had sensed my presence and my skittish thoughts. I froze momentarily.

Well, option 2 was out of the question now. At least, it was if I didn't want to look crazy.

I approached him cautiously, anxiously. I hated how I looked with my hair pulled back, it exposed my huge forehead, and I was sure I was starting to smell from perspiration. For never seeing him again, he picked a bad time to prove me wrong. My pits were soaked and my stomach was barely resisting loud growls of hunger.

Sasuke had never been one for conversations or small pleasantries and it made me all the more nervous. Silence meant way too much time for me to overthink things.

"Uh, hello officer." I greeted.

He nodded his head at me. "Haruno." I looked away from his gaze, which took the time to rake across my body and attire. I skin was shiny from all the sweat, and I had opted to wear some spandex and a tank for my run since it had been so hot out. Now it was just making me self-conscious.

My arms crossed in front of me, my hand slightly rubbing my left arm.

"What can I do for ya?" Normally I would've made a small joke to lighten the mood, but this was Sasuke Uchiha. I'd never seen him laugh, or smile big enough to see his teeth.

"My captain sent me to come get you; your needed down at the station."

My eyes widened. So they were gonna arrest me for stopping those women from ripping each other's hair out?!

"B-but-" he didn't let me finish my rebuttal, which was good because I was just about to go into a fit of rambles about being a good samaritan and make up a story about how I rescued a cat from a tree.

"You're not in trouble. The captain just requested me to bring you in for some questioning." He exclaimed.

I let out a sigh of relief and lifted my hand over my calming heart. Thank goodness. Pretty sure Tsunade would boot me if I didn't keep my squeaky clean record. _'Even though the women should be charged with public intoxication almost every damn day…'._

"Alright. Do I, um, is it urgent?" I asked, digging my toe into the carpeted floor. I'd rather not smell up the police department; i desperately needed a shower before I started repelling people. I looked up to see if he sensed my discomfort. His eyes were murky and mysterious. Like there was a hidden heat behind that stare. This was a man that was a complete enigma; a wild card in my life ever since that night.

I just need to act normal; chances is are he might only remember the tiny high schooler with pink hair.

" _Don't close your eyes Sakura." He purred, gently grabbing my chin to make me look at him._

No nononono. He definitely doesn't remember. And neither should I. Act normal. Be a normal human being for once woman!

"I'll give you 30 minutes to freshen up. I'm parked right outside." he replied. Thank goodness, maybe he picked up my waves of awkwardness and felt pity on me.

He swiftly walked past me, his sleeve lightly brushing past my shoulder. My whole body went up in chills at the contact.

 _That_ is why women fall all over him. My hands were shaking with adrenaline as I tried to get my key in the door, and it hadn't even been skin on skin contact. It was just his _sleeve_. I took a deep breath, trying to stop the shakes in my hands and heart.

I cursed as I dropped my keys, completely missing the door altogether.

Well shit.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 is down. Am I doing a good job? Trying to capture Sasuke's sexiness and Sakura's draw to him is kinda hard, so thoughts would be nice. Reviews in general would be awesome. Or if you have any questions as well, let me know.**


	3. Mafia in Aisle 3

**Hello again! Thanks to all of you who have been reviewing, it really made me happy to see all of them. Keep them coming! To reply to a few:**

 **: the title of the story, TBT, is for throwback Thursday since a lot of this is remembering back to a time in high school lol. I thought it would be kinda clever, ya know?**

 **Misssbehavin: Some time I would like to do what Sasuke's thinking, but I would like to keep it a secret for a little bit longer so it doesn't spoil some things:3**

 **Sharingan blossoms: Thank you! It's so hard to portray Sasuke as the extremely handsome man he is without using the same description that ever other story uses haha I'm glad you liked it.**

 **Jen1490: Thank you! I'm trying to make it so Sakura's appeal is obvious but she's so naïve, but Sasuke thinks it's absolutely adorable.**

Chapter 3: Witness Protection Program

* * *

 _Tap tap tap_

My knuckles rapped onto the driver's window of Sasuke's car, sleek and new like a majority of the Uchiha's Police cars were. His window dragged down slow, just far enough for his eyes to glance up at me.

"I'm ready." I state, like it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world already. Thirty minutes had been plenty of time for me to jump in the shower and apply some makeup before squeezing into some more casual clothes.

"Okay." He quipped. He continued to watch me as I stood there awkwardly, hunching down to peer into his cop car. I'd never been inside one before. There were so many…buttons.

Oh my gosh, what am I, 10 or something?

"Are you gonna get in?" He asked a little impatiently. I'm sure running errands for his boss wasn't the top on his list of important things to do. _'I hear that shit, try working under Tsunade.'_ My thoughts sneered.

"U-uh. Do I…sit up front? Or?" I questioned. I hadn't moved because I wasn't sure where I was supposed to sit. Am I required to sit in the back if I'm not under arrest? Does he have to put me in handcuffs if he does? _Handcuffs._

Ugh, you're such a closet pervert Sakura.

An amused smirk spread across his face. I tried so hard to resist the embarrassment running through me, but the heat on my face told me that I failed miserably. Being around Sasuke took my very organized brain, dug anxious fingers into the grooves, and shook it into a frazzled state of mind. Especially when I remember…things.

"You're a big girl; I guess I can let you sit up front." He teased.

"Right. Of course." I replied. I scurried over and slipped in the passenger side, wringing my hands after I made sure my seatbelt was secure. My gaze was firmly locked outside the window as a distraction. He didn't try and speak to me as he drove off; which was completely like Sasuke. There were very few times he'd ever initiated conversations.

 _Flashback_

" _Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!"_

 _The crowd chanted as a mix of jocks competed in a drinking contest, trying to down the contents of their drinks before the other competitors. I laughed as one rocked, his balance compromised, and knocked the chick behind him over. He had a delayed reaction as he realized his mistake seconds later, gasping and then scurrying drunkenly to help the poor girl up._

 _I finally felt like I could relax after being at the part for a while. Girls I didn't know were complimenting my hair and guys were using the cheesiest pickup lines. Granted they were all getting plastered so they didn't really know their left from right, but watching someone else fall apart and still have a smile on their face made me feel more…human._

" _Sakuraaaaaaaa." A very tan and drunk arm slung across my shoulders as Naruto snuck up behind me._

" _Gah." I grunted lightly as he leaned on me, his face getting close enough to smell the alcohol on his breath._

 _I laughed louder as Naruto drew me in and sniffed at my hair. He practically dug his nostrils into my scalp and the air ticked my follicles. I pushed at his face, his cheeks ablaze and eyes hazy._

" _What are you doing?" I giggled._

" _You always smell soooooooo good Saskuraaaaa." Naruto drawled, grabbing my head and thrusting it back towards his nose. I gave him a playful grin and pushed him away again._

" _Maybe because I shower regularly. And eat things other than ramen every day." I joked._

" _What? I eat other things!" He whined. He tipped into me, his balance compromised, and fell into the wall I'd been resting on._

" _Like what?" I asked, wiggling at the close proximaty but still smiling._

" _Uh…um..corn? That's a veggie-table right?" Naruto said innocently. I scoffed._

" _Ingredients in ramen don't count Naruto!" I scolded, but only jokingly. Always the knucklehead, this guy. He cast his hazy eyes down to me, giving me a lopsided grin. At first I thought he was gonna argue more, but instead he leaned (more like fell) down in a large hug and touched his cheek to my forehead._

 _My smile began to fade as his hands started to move lower._

 _This was starting to feel a little less friendly and a little more…well, too friendly._

 _For a third time, I nicely pushed him off me. I was getting a weird vibe from him, the energy surrounding him was changing. Which meant it was time for me to get out of here. Where was Ino when you needed her? Oh yeah, she had ditched earlier me to chase after some guy in tight jeans and flippy hair._

" _Excuse me Naruto, but I, uh, have to-"Naruto quickly cut me off, his voice ringing clear._

" _I like you Sakura."_

 _My back stiffened and my eyes shifted away._

 _Maybe I should play it off; he's too drunk to even remember what he's saying._

" _I like you too Naruto, you're a good friend." My hand came out to give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but half way through I thought he might interpret that wrong, so I ended up just patting him on the chest._

 _What the fuck?_

 _Panic ran through me as he grabbed my hand, gingerly holding it in his own. His brows were furrowed as he looked at me. I gave my hand a small tug, but he had a vice grip._

" _Why won't give me a chance Sakura?" He asked, almost pleaded._

 _I had always avoided getting caught in this conversation. I knew Naruto had a crush on me, he made it so obvious. But now it was out there. It was verbalized, given to me to either take or reject. Why couldn't he just leave things be? Never, not once, had I ever indicated that I wanted anything more than friendship. Never flirted, never let him pay for food when we hung out, corrected him when he called it "dates". I thought I made it clear without having to say it._

 _I wouldn't call it friendzoning. I feel like friendzoning would be treating a dude like he's your boyfriend and let him waste his time on you without giving him the title._

 _I never let Naruto waste his time on me like that; he just never seemed to get the memo I kept jamming in his face. I sighed. I was just starting to really enjoy myself. I wasn't gonna let him suck the life out of this party._

" _I just don't like you that way. You're like a brother to me."_

" _But you won't even give me a chance-"_

 _I quickly cut him off, my anger rising a little. How can he try and blame me for not returning his feelings?_

" _No, I won't. Because I know how I feel and I refuse to lead you on. I am not gonna play with your feelings, I'll just say it to your face until you get it into your thick skull. You're my friend, but I can't force myself to have feelings that aren't there."_

 _Naruto stared at me, eyes wide. Naruto in a drunken state was a loose cannon; he could either start crying or completely forget the conversation. Shockingly, he gave me a slow smile and was silent for a while._

" _Okay." He said, giving me a sloppy wave as dove back into the crowd._

 _I stared after him, confused and a little sad. I really hope he won't make me say it again when he's sober. I frowned and started tracing the outline lid of the can I was holding. Why was I always caught up trying to do the right things and still feeling shitty about it? I thought I held myself above all these petty high school things, but look at how much good that's done for me._

 _My boyfriend had cheated on me and my best friend was probably crying behind a dumpster now because of me._

" _That was pretty harsh." A smooth voice came from behind me._

" _Ah!" I jumped in surprise, almost dropping the beer can I'd been holding. I whipped my head around, temper rising again as I prepared myself to tell whoever to fuck off and mind their own business. I was not in the mood to deal put up with anyone else's shit. But as I turned to regard the offender, my tongue stopped short as my apple green eyes caught deep ebony._

 _It was Sasuke Uchiha, casually leaning against the wall only a couple inches behind me._

 _How long had he been there?_

 _It took just a second for my mouth to start working again. I tried to convince myself that I was jolted only because he caught me off guard, not because his eyes were solely on me. I took a deep internal breath; there was nothing special about Sasuke that should set me on edge like this._

" _I'd rather be a bitch than lead him on, it would only hurt him worse." I replied, surprising myself at how easily the words had flown out._

 _Now just because I steered clear of Sasuke as a guy doesn't mean I ignored him. He hung around Naruto who coincidently hung around me. There were a few occasions that those times intercepted. Most other girls, like Ino, he either ignored or wrapped them around his finger for later. He had this way about him, a certain weird charm or charisma, which made even insults sound like a compliment._

 _Not saying he was going out of his way to talk to me or flirting with me per say. I always felt that he gave me a more respectful approach than other women (I feel this is the closest to what I would call being nice enough to let me know when there was a fuzz ball in my hair when he could've easily let me embarrass myself at school). Maybe he was nicer to me because he knew I was good friends with Naruto. Or maybe he didn't bother to waste his breath on me. Perhaps he saw me, even a little, as a friend and not some sex object. Like I was an actual human being instead of a pair of legs and tits._

 _But I digress._

 _He gave me a crooked grin, his eyes sliding over my attire. He didn't try to hide it, as if he wasn't embarrassed for openly examining me (I don't know if I could call if checking out, so we'll stick with my original description). This only made me feel even more bashful about my outfit, especially with who was looking at it._

 _Scratch that last part about him not noticing my legs and tits._

 _My hand came down to tug my dress down lightly, grazing the exposed flesh on my thigh. This was not an outfit for a girl as insecure as myself, but I remember Ino resembling it to shock therapy. As if she could just throw me to the wolves and get rid of my anxiety._

 _And now I had the big bad wolf staring me down like I was little red riding hood._

 _Was it suddenly getting hot in here?_

" _Don't worry about it. The idiot was dropped one too many times as a child; harsh is the only way to get through to him." He said._

 _I laughed under my breath and broke our gaze. It was unlike Sasuke to start conversations, and for a moment I thought he had come over to defend his best friend. His comment was refreshing, as if he understood my distress. This must've been Sasuke strange way of offering consolation, but the rigidness in my body started to leave._

 _There was a small comfort in Sasuke's strange charm._

" _I just hope he doesn't remember when he's sober. Naruto's only fun to be around when he's, well, fun." I replied, taking a chance to sneak a peek back up at him._

 _His gaze was still steady on me. He was lounging on the wall still with his hands in his pockets, leaning in so he could hear what I was saying better. I was a little jealous from how at ease he was._

" _Che. I highly doubt he'd even remember it when he's sober. It only takes five minutes for him to get distracted."_

" _Cause he was dropped too many times as a baby, right?" I joked._

 _He breathed out a small chuckle._

" _No, he's just an idiot." He replied._

 _I openly laughed at his comment, all upset feelings from earlier gone._

 _We stood there, him looking at me and me shyly glancing in his direction. Was this what women felt like around him? A silver lining comfort under the intensity of his eyes?_

 _I stifled a gasp when he reached out. Goosebumps rose to the flesh as his hand glided on my shoulder. And then his finger lightly tracing down my arm. I looked up, seeing that his eyes and body were closer than I thought they were just a minute ago._

" _You look different tonight." He whispered. "I kinda like it."_

 _A shiver ran down my spine as his fingers brushed lower on my arm. A devilish grin flashed on his face, and something deep in my stomach reacted. Something heavier than butterflies, like frogs jumping around trying to catch them._

 _Not the most romantic analogy, but it's the best way to describe the feel of anticipation rising in my belly._

 _I opened my mouth to say something, but my voice was caught. I don't think I'd ever noticed him look at me like this. Unabashed and….well, I don't know how to describe it. Flirty? Playful?_

 _There was something in the back of my mind holding up a red flag._

 _It read: Sasuke Uchiha. Playboy. Off limits. Especially college Sasuke; he wasn't some high school kid popular with the girls anymore._

" _Yo Sasuke!"_

 _I guy with jagged blue-white hair and sharp teeth was shouting at him from across the room._

 _Sasuke turned his gaze to regard the guy, and raised a single brow in question._

 _The guy waved him over. "Dude, were up next! Get your ass over here."_

 _There were two busty girls standing next to him, giggling and making sex me eyes at my dark haired companion. I felt even more ridiculous in my little red dress get up, eying these girls. I made sure that to hide my look of inferiority as Sasuke turned back to me. He didn't seem in a rush at all, as he looked down at me. His attention was overwhelming, like I was overheating but my skin was prickling with the kiss of a cool touch._

" _I… should probably go find Ino. Lord knows she's helpless without me." I said in a small voice._

 _He stood there for a moment more as he examined me before a slow smirk made its way to his lips._

" _I'll see you later, Sakura."_

 _End Flashback_

* * *

"Sakura?"

I snapped out of my daydream as I noticed I was looking up at the tall building for the Konoha police department. I swiveled to Sasuke; he already had his seatbelt off and his car door open. _'Not the best time to day dream; especially when he's sitting across from you.'_ My conscience sneered.

I needed to start acting like a human being around him, lest he think I'm some kind of lunatic fangirl who couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"Right, sorry." I apologized. I tugged my seatbelt off and stepped out on the curb. I followed quietly behind him, doing my best to be poised and keep my back straight. Now was not the time to think of such trivial times, being escorted into the police department.

Phones were ringing and police were lounging at their desks, chatting away and writing reports. Thanks to the Uchiha the building was always kept pristine. I had heard a kid once say that they should just call it the Uchiha police force since they practically owned it. Kids always had rumors about the esteemed Uchiha family, and Sasuke was usually the center of it.

Sasuke was silent as he led me through the halls and right to an office with the label 'Captain's Office' in black on the door. He gave 2 courtesy knocks before opened the door and waltzed in. I shyly followed behind to come face to face with a man in his 30s with silver hair and an eyepatch. 'Captain Kakashi Hatake' was what his name plate said.

I was surprised; this was the first time I'd seen a captain that didn't share in Sasuke's last name.

"Hello miss Haruno. Please, take a seat." He greeted me with a small smile, and opened his hand toward one of two seats across his desk.

I passively did as told and folded my hands in my lap. I heard Sasuke shut the door behind us, but he didn't leave. He stood behind me, leaning on the large window.

Balls, jumping into a fight at Walmart didn't really land you a trip to the captain's office did it? I didn't think it was that big of a deal, and Ino definitely didn't have enough money to bail me out of jail. Goosebumps ran up my arms in dread and worry. My career was over before it even began!

The captain fumbled with something on his side of the desk before sliding it in front of me. It was a picture. And then he flung another that landed perfectly next to it. I recognized them both; they were the women that had gotten in that fight.

The women about to ruin my life.

"Do you know these women?" He questioned, sitting back in his chair and folding his hands. I analyzed the pictures closer. They were most definitely the same women, but somehow different. In these pictures they looked more…sophisticated. These women wouldn't be the type to be looking for frozen goods at a typical general store.

"Those were the women I tried to split up at Walmart, but I don't know them. Not really." I replied honestly.

He gave me a small nod, as if he knew what my answer was going to be.

He pulled out another picture and slung it toward me.

It was a picture of a man smirking. His hair was slicked back and he had a cigar popped in the side of his mouth. He wore a fine pressed suit, and looked like he had _a lot_ of money.

"What about him?" He asked in the same tone.

"No." I said, a little confused. What did this guy have to do with me?

The captain sighed and slumped his shoulders. Out of relief or disappointment, I couldn't tell.

"His name is Hidan. He's a member of an uprising gang called the Akatsuki. They're part of the mafia in Konoha. This woman," He pointed to the picture of the younger girl, "was his girlfriend."

He picked up his finger and pointed to the older woman, "And this is his mother. His mother was never fond of his girlfriend so she tried to ambush her."

I stared at him, shocked. Those women were members of a gang? _Shit._

"I-I don't understand. I was just trying to help." I muttered.

"We understand that, and it's good you got involved before it got out of hand. But now, you might be involved in something bigger."

"Bigger?" Sasuke interrupted. Seems as though he hadn't been clued in either.

"It's nothing serious. We'll just need to put you in the witness protection program for a while, as a precaution." He states.

I sit there, frazzled and confused.

"What does that mean? Am I in danger?" I asked, panicked.

"No no. It's just a precaution, as I said." Kakashi said reassuringly, but it came out short. It didn't make me feel better at all.

"But, I can't leave my job at the hospital. I still getting used to starting out and my boss is a hard ass. Tsunade will _kill_ me."

"Ahhh yes. Tsunade is certainly a tough woman." He says fondly. "But the police have protocols I'm afraid. Were required to provide around the clock security in one of our safe towns for 72 hours to make sure there's no danger."

I opened my mouth to argue, to rattle off all my reasons as to why I just couldn't up and leave, but I didn't know what to say to convince him or to go against his wishes. My mouth gaped, words stopped on my useless tongue.

"I can watch her."

My eyes grew wide as saucers as I heard the silken voice behind me.

 _What?_

Kakashi drew his eyes past my head to Sasuke, who had spoken out of nowhere. He paused for a moment, thinking it over. The room went still, and I was afraid that if I moved I would shatter the battle of wills around me.

"You can't possibly watch her, night and day, for 3 days. I wouldn't expect that out of you."

"Put one of the rookies on the night shift; they should be used to it."

"Sasuke."

"Captain." He challenged.

I think I was still gaping at this point, completely clueless as to what was happening.

Kakashi sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Tell Romano to come in for the briefing. You're free to go, Ms. Haruno. But Sasuke will have to accompany you until we can get this cleared." He caved.

As Sasuke walked me out, I was still dumbfounded. Sasuke had had offered to follow me around? To be my pretend bodyguard? Wasn't that beneath him? Maybe he pitied me? Fuck. Fuck. I don't even know. I don't know this Sasuke; why would he go out of his way to help me? Is this a more charitable Sasuke I'm dealing with now? A man who had grown compassionate with age?

I almost snorted on the spot.

And what did the captain mean; to make sure? To get everything clear?

I sat outside on a wooden bench, lost in my thoughts. I wasn't even paying attention, although I couldn't hear what they were saying behind the closed door. Sasuke had ordered me to sit and then dragged in a kid that looked fresh out of the academy. As much as I desperately wished to know what this was about, and why I was suddenly involved with the _fucking_ mafia, a larger part of me didn't want to know. I was known for my shitty luck and bad timing. Stumbling into a weird mafia battle between a mobster's mom and girlfriend? Man, this really topped the list.

I jumped as the door opened, and Sasuke stalked out.

"Come on Haruno." He said, without even stopping for me to catch up. But as I got up, I heard the last moments of the conversation, and what was said gave me shivers.

"Sir, we don't even know if they know what she looks like-"

"I know, but we can't risk it. One girl's already shown up dead."

* * *

 **Dun dun dun! Cliffhanger! Sorry, but isn't it so exciting? Lol**

 **Honestly, this story is doing surprisingly well and I don't know what I've done to make it so, but I'm thankful that so many ppl are liking it.**

 **R &R! Show me some love and let me know what to think plz**


	4. Deja Vu

**Hello, all and welcome back! I actually got this chapter done relatively quickly, most of it was already finished by the time I posted the last chapter anyways but I'm so picky that it took forever to answer some comments/questions:**

 **Guest: Honestly, I'm not a fan of other stories that display Sasuke as a playboy either ironically, but there are some gems I like that display him differently than just using Sakura that I like. Don't worry; Sasuke0 won't be a cold-hearted bastard (towards Sakura anyways).**

 **Uchiha Misaki: I'm not sure if ur asking why the police are mad or if the mafia would be mad (I'm assuming the police). It's not necessarily that they're mad, but there are a couple of reasons. 1. In their eyes, Sakura did not take the right precautions, instead of calling the police she took matters into her own hands which landed her in this dangerous situation. 2. It's somewhat suspicious for her to be jumping into a stranger's fight. She's an unknown entity to the police, so they have to be weary of her as well since this is an ongoing case. Hope that helps.**

 **Guest: I checked out porcelain memories stories that u recommended. I really like them; I0've been reading Priestess of Tea, and I love her detail (even though the run-on sentences drive me a little nuts). Thank you!**

 **Adelaide Leichhardt: I totally believe that Sasuke is secretly pervy towards Sakura, but in this story, he's going to be a little more open about it…wink wink nudges nudge. The idea of handcuffs may not escape him either.**

 **I know a lot of ppl are inquiring about if Sasuke remembers her…and you'll be left guessing for just a little bit longer mwahaha.**

 **Thank you all for the support I've been getting! I feel like this story offers my natural voice of things. Like, this is how I seriously sound like in my inner dialogue:p This has a lot more of the flashback in it, so this chapters longer than the other ones. Hopefully, it runs smoothly.**

 **Well, let's get this started!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Deja Vu

Sneaking a look at Sasuke's profile as he drove to my apartment brought me back to my high school days. Like I was chasing after senpai with the other pleated skirts trying to get his attention. All the girls liked Sasuke in high school. Even after he graduated, they couldn't shut up about him. And because all the girls in school loved Sasuke, I didn't but secretly did. I admit I was going through my rebellious stage like most kids, but I didn't want to conform to what my peers stereotypically did. Following trends weren't my thing. That's what I told myself at least.

But I'd given in once upon a time. I was just like those other girls, pining after the most popular guy in school. And it drove me batshit crazy looking at Sasuke's face, remembering it.

I spent half the ride trying to figure out if he remembered me, remembered _us_ , but I was pretty sure he didn't. Sasuke was an enigma, yes, but he was still human. And humans forgot easily. He was only doing his job offering to watch out for me; cops stuck their necks out for innocent civilians all the time. I shouldn't give myself a big head thinking I was special.

He kept his obsidian orbs focused on the road, and he didn't bother to talk, but my anxiety did a good job of preoccupying the silence. Especially after I'd heard that someone had _died_ and it could involve _me_. I'd seen flashes of the Akatsuki on the news, but beyond that, all I knew was that they were a dangerous gang that I'd had the privilege of never coming across.

It's not like I started that fight so it shouldn't concern me, right? Those women barely even recognized I was there when I pulled them off each other. And this Hidan fellow wasn't there. He wouldn't know what I looked like unless he hacked into security tapes. Even then, he wouldn't know my name or where I even lived. But fuck, I didn't know. I didn't even know if the two events, the Walmart brawl, and the killing, correlated.

' _Just a precaution, that's what he said. I just need to continue my life, regularly as I can, and the disgusting fat of this whole incident will melt away.'_ I reassured myself.

Sasuke pulled up in front of my building, and I fiddled with my seatbelt to get it unbuckled. I silently cursed as it jammed. Why was I always acting like an idiot with him around? Even my seatbelt was conspiring against me. Where was my pride dammit? Disintegrating with my control every minute I was around him, screaming from the depths of hell (aka, my conscience). That's where.

When I did get my seatbelt off, it went back to the awkward silence. I should say something. I felt bad about this whole thing. Sasuke had saved my ass, making sure I could stay in Konoha. I'm sure Tsunade would be understanding, but if I'd been sent away, it'd be a delay in my training and a huge inconvenience to get shipped somewhere else. However, now I was only delaying Sasuke's work. He was going to be wasting his time with me instead of doing important police things. Like catching robbers or some shit.

Word vomit was spewing from my mouth before I could stop it.

"Thank you so much for saving me back there. And I'm sorry, I know it isn't exciting or even important to waste your time watching me. Not that I don't appreciate it, Tsunade would've thrown a fit if I had to skip my shifts. I don't think I'd do well being relocated somewhere probably in a swamp and being called Jessica and-"

"Sakura." My lips stopped flapping, but the cursing in my mind continued.

Stupid stupid stupid!

"It's okay." He said in a calm voice, his dark eyes peering into mine. He was stoic as usual, but not unpleasant.

I felt a shiver slide down my spine when our eyes connected and hoped he didn't notice.

"Right." I laughed nervously while looking away. "This just hasn't been my day" I huffed and opened the door, "I'll see you later," I said quickly.

He gave me a small nod as I shut the door behind me. I casually walked to my escape, the apartment. Some sweats and a book were just what I needed to forget everything right now.

* * *

"Sakura, I think someone's stalking us."

"Get away from the window, Ino." I sighed.

Ino pulled back the curtain she'd been peeking from, hiding her face from the car perfectly perched in the alley next to my apartment building. I didn't bother to look up from my medical text; I knew she'd been checking out the sleek black car sitting just outside the window. I knew who it was and why it was there, but I didn't feel like explaining the whole car thing at the moment. I was in forget-the-world- exists zone. The spot next to me on the couch sank, and I heard her huff next to me. I propped my feet up into Ino's lap.

"Hey!" She whined.

"Oh, stop complaining." I teased.

"Seriously, though, that car has been sitting there for 2 hours, and I swear I can see someone in there."

"Calm down; it's just Sasuke-" I answered without thinking and tried to cut myself off, but the cat was out of the bag now.

I took a chance and snuck a peek, pulling my book down just far enough so I could see Ino's reaction. She was leaning towards me with a sly smirk and suspicious squinty eyes.

Ugh, I could see the accusations forming from the twinkle in those light blue orbs. Ino's mind brimmed with perverted things and sexual innuendos. Her reaction perfectly showed why I didn't want to tell her in the first place.

"You run into him only days before, and now he's miraculously waiting outside your apartment? You _dog_ ; you must be great in bed."

"It's not like that Ino." I defended, my face feeling warm. I tried to bury my face back into my medical books. Maybe if I ignored her, she'd go away? Not likely, Ino claimed to be the coordinator of my love life. Anything regarding boys and dating she declared was under her jurisdiction.

"Oh, isn't it? She said, and quirked her eyebrow at me. I could tell she wouldn't stop the assumptions until I told her the truth.

"He's watching me for work. Kind of like..." my finger tapped my chin, trying to think the best description," a bodyguard," I explained.

She frowned at me. I hadn't told her about the repercussions of the Walmart incident just yet because I was still trying to wrap my head around it. I thought that if I didn't worry, then it wouldn't grow to be a problem.

 _'One girl's already dead.'_

So maybe it is something to worry about, but I don't want to do that right now. Too much has fucked with my life in less than 48 hours. Work is already stressful, but now the solace of me time is being tampered with. But I didn't want to leave Ino in the dark either, and from the look on her face, I knew I wasn't going to get away with ignoring her. I flipped my book barrier down, sighed and told her everything. From Sasuke showing up at my door to the awkward right coming back from the police station.

By the end she was gaping at me, eyes wide with worry.

"You idiot! All this over bagels?" She yelled, which was unnecessary with how close were sitting (and her voice is already as loud as a banshee).

"They were good bagels," I said, holding my hands up defensively, "but that's beside the point. In short, I'm under police watch for 72 hours. No big deal." I shrugged, trying to pretend that it was nothing.

Ino wasn't buying it, I could tell by the way she narrowed her eyes at me, but she didn't bug me about it anymore. She must not have known what to say either or do either. She grabbed the remote and flipped the tv on, officially ending the conversation. I knew it wasn't over, though, she'd speak up once she thought of something witty to say. I understood her anger stemmed from worry, but honestly, I was fine. I also knew that her being mad also meant she'd be quiet for a while. She would get over it, and if not I'd pull out my secret weapon. Ino was a sucker for pepperoni pizza rolls, and if I kept her mouth happy it'd take the edge off. I welcomed the partial silence and dove back into my book.

It was almost peaceful, me reading and her being quiet for more than five minutes. I crossed my feet up on the couch and used the armchair for my back while she piled her legs with mine. The lounging was pleasant, even though Ino didn't live here and I had no clue how she got in (Sasuke has been severely slacking to let this psycho slip by). Things were starting to feel normal with each passing second.

 _Knock! Knock!_

...and just when I'd finally gotten some peace and quiet. Perfect timing! Not.

I huffed and lightly kicked Ino's legs off so I could get up. Her cries of protest barely reached my ears as I left the couch. I left my book open to 'The Discovery of the Microbiome!' and went to the front door.

Who'd be at my door at this time of night? It was nearly nine! I wasn't expecting anyone. Hell, I hadn't been expecting Ino. I unlatched the door and pulled it open.

Nothing. There was no one there.

I furrowed my brow and peeked my head out. I glanced down both directions of the hallway, and there wasn't a living soul around. My bell had ringed less than a minute ago, so unless someone ding dong ditched me and bolted down the stairs because the elevator wasn't that fast, I would've seen them.

"Weird..." I murmured, and took a step out to investigate.

 _Crunch!_

Startled, I looked down to find a white envelope, crumpled under underneath my foot. Dumbfounded, I bent down and grabbed it. I flipped it front and back, studying the foreign parchment. There was nothing written on the outside; no return address or even a name. The P.O. boxes were downstairs in the lobby, who would climb three flights of stairs to hand-deliver a blank envelope?

Ino popped her head out past my shoulder to see what I was holding, and I almost dropped the envelope at her sudden appearance.

"What's that?" Ino asked, reaching out to try and swipe my postage. My arm pulled far away from her grasp. Were all best friends this nosy or just mine?

"At least wait for me to open _my_ mystery mail." I scolded.

She jutted her lip out at me before she gave in and disappeared into my living room. I gave the hall one last look before I shut the door and followed her in.

I tore open the seal almost immediately. Curiosity was flowing through my veins and itching at my grabby hands. My fingers were enclosing around the corner of the letter, ready to rip it out and read the words greedily, but an unseen force stopped me. Another inkling, a type of curiosity that ebbed away at my brain.

How strange was it that a blank letter would show up at my door, only right after being placed under police protection? Goosebumps rose on my forearms, but I told myself to remain calm. It could be strictly coincidental. Not everything that happened from now on was related to the investigation, but my intuition told me that chances were against me. And I wasn't going to take chances.

I shouldn't even look at it; I could be contaminating evidence right now! Sasuke's just downstairs; I'll give it to him. Let him do policey stuff with it. I mean, it is his job after all. What if it wasn't? I'd just be wasting more of his time. No, Sakura, don't think like that. He would agree that this is a legitimate worry. I told Ino I'd be right back and shut the door behind me, muffling her inquiring protests. I shuffled down the hallway with a mission. I wanted to go back to pretending my situation didn't exist. Once this letter was out of my hands, it was out of my life.

I was shocked to find Sasuke already in the lobby, grilling the poor man at the front desk. I paused to take in his casual attire.

Jeans looked _so good_ on him.

He looked straight out of an eighties detective movie starring the bad boy cop, but without the bell-bottoms. He had straight bootleg jeans on, which outlined parts of his thighs and glutes perfectly, even though his pants weren't tight. He had on a faded leather jacket to protect him from the elements and a plain black t-shirt underneath. I could practically see his penetrating gaze beyond his aviator glasses, but his focus wasn't on me. The poor man behind the front desk was the victim. The older bald man was crumbling under his intimidating air. Sasuke was leaning on the desk, one elbow resting against the word and his hand dangling casually, but his face was all business.

"Uh, Officer Uchiha," I called, walking over to him while clutching the letter to my chest. In one swift move, he pulled his aviators off and turned to regard me. He was breathtaking without his hat or glasses blocking my view.

Focus Sakura, there's more important things at hand.

"This letter was sitting outside my door, and I thought it was strange because it has no name or address on it," I explained.

"Yeah I thought I saw a suspicious character walk in. According to Mr. Reaves, whoever came in wasn't the regular mailman, and carried no other mail with him. I was just talking to him about the dangers of letting a perfect stranger into the building-"

"But you're a stranger as well sir-" Poor Mr. Reaves tried to reason, but Sasuke was having none of it. He snapped his gaze back into the older man's direction. The employee immediately buttoned his lip.

"I'm a cop." He said seriously, flashing his badge again. Mr. Reaves shrank away in shame and fear.

Was it strange that I found his dominance alluring?

' _Bad Sakura! Geez, I'm almost as big of a pervert as Naruto!'_

I handed over the offending object. "I haven't looked at it yet," I added quickly. Sasuke nodded at my rambling. He tossed the envelope aside, and carefully unfolded the letter. He studied it silently for a moment, and then his eyebrows knitted together.

"It's a love letter," He stated.

"What?!" My jaw almost hit the floor. Who in their right mind would send me a love letter?

"From who?" I said incredulously. Not once in my life had I gotten a love letter, and the only secret admirer note I'd gotten was in high school for Valentine's Day flowers. I was excited about it until I realized that it suspiciously resembled Ino's handwriting. Both of us had been single at the time, and she decided February 14th would be Friendsgiving that year without telling me ahead of time.

"Doesn't say." He replied casually. He tilted the paper and showed me the bland print on it:

 _My heart exploded, and I caught you in my sight._

 _My skin rises with crawls underneath, like love bugs and termites._

 _I wanted you to know how I feel, so I left you a gift._

 _I couldn't reveal myself just yet, so I had to be swift._

 _Under gleaming brights and neon lights, I'll make my presence known._

 _And always remember; you're never alone._

 _-XOXO_

I crinkled my nose as I reread it. I wasn't sure if this was clever or creepy, but it severely lacked the cute romanticism love letters encompassed.

"Are all love letters usually this...weird?" I asked. Who thought termites would be a good thing to include when trying to woo someone? And the last line gave off serious stalker vibes. No way this thing was real.

Sasuke reflected my frown, lost in thought.

"I should have it checked out." He said.

"I'm sure it's pretty harmless, just a bad poet probably. No reason to worry right?" I reasoned, trying to convince myself more than him.

He continued to analyze the paper, eyes covering every inch of it.

"No, but I have a feeling...I'll take it in as a precaution." He said slowly.

The word precaution was starting to feel less comforting when they kept using it. I guess it didn't matter much to me anyways. I had no use for it for the letter, and my best bet was Naruto pulling some prank on me. He always had poor timing with his pranks. I'd confront him about it later and make sure to give him a good beating for scaring me.

"Okay," I said and shrugged. As far as I was concerned, it wasn't my problem anymore. Unless Sasuke came back and told me, it had Naruto's handprints on it. Then I'd be Naruto's problem.

"Taking one won't make much 0difference right? I'll return it if it turns out lover boy's real." He relays to me. His tone, as always, is flat. I feel like there's more meaning behind what he's saying, though.

"Don't bother; I highly suspect that it's just a friend playing a prank or something," I told him. His eyes scanned my face, although I wasn't sure what he was searching for. Then his words reran through my mine, and I caught that he'd said 'taking _one_.' As if someone else was crazy enough to send me shit like this.

"Why would you think that?" He asked, an amused tone lining his question.

"Trust me; I'm not the type of girl who gets secret admirers," I told him earnestly.

"Could've fooled me." He muttered, even though I was sure he'd meant for me to hear. My eyes widened a fraction at his backhanded compliment. A pale pink dusted my cheeks and a light smile formed on my lips instinctively. Sasuke smirked back at me. He definitely meant for me to hear. He obviously knew he still had an effect on the ladies.

He folded the letter up and put it back in the envelope. The seriousness in his face returned.

"I should get this back to the lab right away. Will you be okay by yourself for a couple of minutes?" He asked with a hint of concern. I waved it off like it was no big deal. There was no need to be concerned. Ino and I combined added up to a whole bag of crazy. I wasn't gonna tell him that, though.

"Yeah. Ino managed to sneak in, so I'm not alone. Surprised me that she got passed your radar, though." I teased.

"She seemed harmless enough." He replied.

"Psychopaths usually do." I retorted.

He chuckled, and it was like music to my ears. Sasuke Uchiha thinks I'm funny. Thank goodness. And pretty! At least, pretty enough to have secret admirers.

"If anything she's a good guard dog, do what you need to do," I told him.

"Good, I'll be back in 10. Don't sick her on any innocent civilians while I'm gone." He said. He made a single nod to me, and then to Mr. Reaves who was doing his best to keep a polite distance away. He turned away from me to leave, and I couldn't stop my eyes from drinking him in. He'd changed physically since I'd last seen him, but I wondered what else about him had changed.

My head tilted just a little0 as my sea green orbs glued to a certain –ahem- area.

I wasn't as bad as Naruto; I was worse.

* * *

Flashback to 5 years ago

 _I caught myself looking for far too long at Sasuke's behind and shook my head to snap out of it._

 _What was that? What was it?!_

 _I looked around nervously, eyes darting, to see if anyone saw me blatantly gawk at him. I put a hand over my heart and let out a breath of relief that no one saw me openly stare at his ass. I would need to start drinking if I was gonna deal with all the craziness going on at this party. I stalked off._

 _I found some girls I knew from English class to stand with and make off handed comments about the people that were already smashed. I was on the lookout for specifically two people:_

 _The first was Ino. She'd probably gotten tired of following tight jeans guy around. So now I had no clue where she was or what she was doing, which was never a good thing. She followed trouble around like an unsupervised puppy._

 _The second was Naruto. I didn't want to get caught in such an awkward situation again, so as soon as I saw a single hair off his blonde head, I was bolting. At this point, he'd either be a sobbing mess or had already forgotten our conversation and try to grope me. I wasn't a fan of being groped or dealing with a bawling man._

 _Secretly, there was a third on my list._

 _Sasuke had always been on my radar, but he'd been far out in uncharted territory. He had a way about him that was oddly attractive. I found his blunt attitude refreshing, and his sarcasm hilarious (in my eyes, anyways). We didn't talk much, but he was still kinda in my circle. But anything past a platonic relationship treading dangerous waters. I knew this. Everybody knew it when it came to Sasuke._

 _And yet…_

 _There was a whisper in the back of my mind._

 _Why not? Why not leave caution into the wind and just have fun? He thought I was cute right? He wouldn't have flirted with me if he was interested. Right?_

' _No! Inhibition is there for a reason!' My mind scolded. I didn't just flirt around or dare to mess around with anyone. But Sasuke had the power to make me waiver, which made me nervous and excited at the same time._

 _I took a sip out of my can and got lost in the moment. I didn't even hear what the other girls were saying anymore. All I was thinking about was earlier in the night, talking to Sasuke and his fingers skimming my arm. I hadn't seen him since; he'd probably lost interest and dropped me for Boobs Mcgee or her equally slutty friend. Maybe I was sitting here like an idiot, arguing with myself about a guy who wasn't even interested. My lower lip pouted unconsciously at this conclusion._

 _A hand shot out of nowhere and latched onto my arm, jarring me. I forgot I was on the lookout! Thankfully the masculine hand wasn't Naruto's, and I was able to relax. It was a boy I recognized from some classes, but his name escaped me at the moment._

" _Sakura! Come on!" He exclaimed, pulling at my arm._

" _Huh?" I blinked. I felt bad for not remembering his name at the moment, but we didn't hang out. What did he want?_

" _You're gonna be my partner for beer pong!" He explained and tugged again without waiting for a reply. I gave off a shy smile and gave in, letting him drag me to the table. I'd watched plenty of times, but I'd never gotten to play until now. I'd secretly always wanted to try it, and it gave me something to do. Maybe it'd take my mind off things._

 _Two left!_

 _I zoned in on the remaining cups remaining, careful to calculate my aim while preventing my elbow from passing the table. Whistles were all around me, and it was embarrassing and excited all at once to know it was all for me. I took my shot, aim just a little too left. The white pong ball spun around the rim, and at the last second sank into the water of the red cup. My partner, Chad was the name I recalled, cheered and gave me a high five. He was starting to feel the buzz from his booze because our hands didn't line up right. His palm connected with my ring and pinky finger._

 _I laughed. I didn't know this could be so fun!_

 _Some of the girls I'd been chilling with tried to help me out as the game was neck and neck._

" _Sakura!" Mary caught my attention, "Lean down and do this to distract 'em! Come on, stun those boys!" She leaned down and pushed her arms together, accentuating her cleavage to demonstrate. My hand covered my mouth to stifle my giggle. "No!" I yelled back. It was too embarrassing, and I was certainly not brave enough to do that in front of a crowd of my peers._

 _The girls managed to distract the other team, working together and using their boobs to help me out, and now we had the balls back. Just one shot, and we won. Chad missed his chance, of course, so now it was down to me. The crowd chanted, but I shut it all out. Just one shot….and…_

 _Swish! Water splashed as the ball sailed through the air before it landed in the cup with a light 'plop!'_

 _People cheered around us and celebrated, and the girls crowded around me. Chad slung his arm around my shoulders, which caused me to laugh and pat his arm awkwardly. Just cause I had to drink a couple of times didn't mean I was going to 'warm' up to him. Still, it didn't bug me as much as I thought it would._

 _Why hadn't I started going to parties sooner?_

End Flashback

* * *

"Miss?"

"Huh, what?" I blushed crimson as Mr. Reaves waved his hand in my view from his desk. I shook my head and inwardly groaned. This time I had been caught checking out Sasuke's ass. Mr. Reaves didn't offer any insight on catching me red handed, but gave me a knowing smile.

"He's scary, but it's nice that your boyfriend is so protective of you." He said, catching me off guard. I was reduced to a blubbering idiot scrambling for a response.

"Wha? Um, no. He's not my boyfriend. He's just, uh-" I fumbled over my words, trying to explain to him without actually telling him the details. How do you say "some mobster that kills women might claim to be a secret admirer, Sasuke's just here to make sure I don't die" without causing panic?

"Next time he comes in, I'll give him a key, so he doesn't have to wait in the lobby." He said as if doing me a favor, but I was pretty sure it was so he wouldn't be prey to Sasuke's glare again. Even if he did have some 0backbone, I couldn't blame him. The Uchiha were known to be people who didn't take kindly to not getting there way. He gave me a wink before turning his back to me and going back to his business.

My mouth buttoned, unsure how to react. With nothing coming to mind, I shamefully marched back to the elevators. The trip up was filled with boring elevator music and shame. The elevator dinged, and my apartment number came into view. I knocked on the door, and Ino welcomed me back into my apartment.

"It's being taken care of," I told her, resuming my spot back on the couch.

"What was it?" She asked, taking her spot next to me.

"Some weird love letter," I replied.

"Oh? Did it make a certain someone jealous?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. I scoffed, her face looked so funny when she did that and answered.

"Like I said; it's not like that Ino," I stated in an agitated tone. Why did everyone insist on insinuating things when it came to Sasuke Uchiha? My patience was starting to wear thin.

* * *

Back to Flashback:

 _I found Ino only a couple minutes after my victory. I waved her down and latched onto her arm so she couldn't escape. Ino lit up when she realized it was me and not some weird jerk grabbing her._

" _Sakura!" She gasped, and squeezed my face. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She announced. I winced at her loud tone, but my smile never fell._

" _Were you looking for me or that guy Bieber looking guy?" I accused. She giggled into her hand sloppily. It was obvious she'd been drinking, but she wasn't at the point of slurring her words._

" _You can't blame a girl for trying." She defends._

" _You're crazy." I tease, shaking my head at her. Ino's gorgeous, she should know that she doesn't have to chase after a guy. Especially one that wears tighter pants than her!_

" _Not enough! I need more alcohol!" She announces, pumping a fist in the air._

" _Trust me; you don't!" I say, laughing. Even though I say it lightly, I mean it. I don't want her getting out of hand. Chasing her around and playing drunk mom seems like the waste of my first party. I won't ever say that to her and make her feel bad, though._

" _I didn't know I had a limit, mom! Geez, relax. You need to get laid!" She stuck her tongue out at me and winked. I know she doesn't mean it, but there's a pang inside me. And it isn't a bad pang per say, just a reflection of what a tight ass I've been._

" _Maybe I do." I teased. I don't think she fully hears me though as she looks around, searching probably for the source of alcohol. Ino yanked on my arm, pushing me towards the kitchen. I easily could've slipped through her flimsy hold usually, but the alcohol gave her a vice grip I couldn't get escape. I didn't struggle too much either; I was feeling freer than I had in months._

 _She only let go when we stumbled into the kitchen. It was packed with people standing around and talking, so we had to squeeze our way to the fridge and counter. I leaned over the table and set my beer can down as she flung the fridge door open._

" _What'chu want Sakura?" Ino slurred._

" _Don't bother; I'm still on this," I said, and held up my can to prove it. I scanned the room as Ino dug through the fridge for whatever fruity drink she was trying to find and mumbling about a guy giving her looks in the hallway. I sighed. Didn't even feel like 10 minutes ago I wanted to leave early cause it was going to be a shitty night, and now I was beaming because me, Sakura Haruno, had been the life of the party. And I didn't have to show my tits or hike my skirt up to get it. It was only 15 minutes of fame, but I was satisfied._

 _Oop, I recant that the part about it not being shitty. Trouble was coming this way._

 _My back shot up straight when I saw a spiky yellow ball enter the room. I knew that hair anywhere. Shit! I needed to get out of here. Fast._

 _I turned to retrieve Ino, only to find the fridge closed and her long gone. What the fuck? I had heard a small 'oh shit he's hot' only a minute before, but I didn't think she'd ditch me, again, to chase another guy. Me being alone only made me that much more of a target, and I wasn't as good at evading as she was._

 _Naruto walked through the door we had minutes before, talking to Shikamaru and laughing. I'm sure his mood will change when he sees me, though. That door isn't the only way out; there0 was another door on the adjacent wall branching out into the hallway. I'd be able to make it across the threshold before he got over here-_

" _That was some game out there."_

 _The sound that came out of my mouth was a mix between a yelp and a very non-girly screech, and I almost knock my drink over when I jump. I looked over my shoulder to see familiar obsidian orbs burning into me. Sasuke was casually leaning against the counter next to me with an impish grin. Somehow he'd managed to sneak up on me again. I could tell from the look in his eyes that he enjoyed it too much._

" _Oh! Um.." It took me a minute to gather my thoughts, having him so close to me, "Thanks."_

 _He had to be talking about the beer pong game I'd been in. I'd almost gotten dragged into a tournament, but I'd seen Ino and ditched out. Now that I thought about it, he'd been called away from me for the same thing._

" _How'd your game go?" I asked casually. I turned to face him, but my eyes kept darting towards the blonde patch in the corner. Naruto was standing by the door with Shikamaru still. There was plenty of distance between us, but he just needed one look around to figure out my location. Eyes flickering back to Sasuke, I was surprised that he didn't have a busty blonde on his arm._

" _Ah, we won, but I backed out after." He replied back, just as casually. My attention wasn't solely on him, though, and he could tell._

 _In my peripherals, I saw his eyebrows go up when he saw my shoulders straighten. But I wasn't looking at him. Naruto was coming this way. He hadn't noticed me yet, and I'd rather keep it that way. Sasuke glanced in the direction I was looking in, curious to see what had spooked me. Sasuke watched what happened earlier; he'd understand me cutting our conversation short hopefully._

 _I turned to make a run for it while profusely cursing and apologizing to Sasuke, but I didn't make past the fridge. I felt a hand from behind me grab onto my elbow and pushed me up against the other end of the refrigerator, shielding my body from Naruto. Sasuke swung in front of me and pinned me there, putting up an arm to rest against the fridge. I had a flashback to earlier of the night when we first talked, of how close we were then and now. I couldn't stop the blush reaching the tip of my ears._

" _What are you doing?" I whispered quickly. He was entirely too close, leaning over me and almost bumping my nose with his._

" _He'll ignore us this way," He responded in a hushed tone. He was right. Sasuke's body was blocking mine so even if Naruto did look over here; he wouldn't see my pink hair and know it was me. He'd just think Sasuke was flirting with someone, and wouldn't think twice about who._

 _"Oh." My hand came to my mouth, and I desperately wanted to peek out and see where Naruto was. Sasuke's arm was blocking my view, though, so close that if I turned my nose would brush against it. Even though Sasuke was helping me out, I couldn't help but vaguely wonder if he was the one I should be hiding from. I shook those thoughts out of my mind; Sasuke was a friend, and I shouldn't think bad about him from trying to help me out._

 _'Think quick, Sakura, before this situation gets awkward.' I urged, but conversations with Sasuke had always been short. I was afraid that mindless small talk would only annoy him._

 _"You're surprisingly coherent." He noted. I furrowed my eyebrows and frowned._

 _"What do you mean?" I asked._

 _His fiery eyes scanned me once more, but I tried to pretend I didn't notice. When he caught my green eyes, though, his gaze told me that he knew I'd been watching where his eyes went. I hadn't fooled him with my nonchalance, and he'd been judging my reaction when his gaze floated further past my face._

 _"You don't drink; I thought you'd be slurring at this point." He said while pointing to the beer can I was holding._

 _He expected me to get defensive and riled up; that's why he'd said it in the first place. If he was waiting for a comeback like 'how the fuck would you know if I drink or not?' in typical Sakura phrasing, he didn't get one. In fact, he looked confused when I giggled at him. Instead of offering him an answer, I rose my can for him to take. His eyes narrowed in playful suspicion as he took it from me. He shook it a little, then sniffed it before taking a swig of it himself. His eyes widened, and he looked at me with a baffled expression._

 _"It's just water." He discovered._

 _I giggled again and took the can from him. I didn't care to drink, and if I did, it wouldn't be beer. I didn't want to deal with people harassing me and trying to shove alcohol down my throat, so I'd come up with an alternative. Beer can filled with tap water. Nobody could see the contents inside so that no one would question it._

 _"You wasted perfectly good beer." He chastised, but there was no serious intent behind it._

 _"Ino drank it; I just filled it back up with water so no one would pressure me into drinking," I explained. He nodded his head; I'm sure he'd goaded plenty of people into drinking. It was like a sport to him._

" _You know if you ever want to try out alcohol, you can do it around here. I won't tell" Sasuke winked, offering his red cup to me._

 _I didn't know if this was another test, but I knew that he was feeling out my boundaries. I remembered the debate about him in my head earlier, whether I should encourage whatever was in the process of happening. There were also other things I was recalling. Always going to school on time, never skipping classes, being the perfect girlfriend and getting cheated on regardless. I never wore short skirts, always listened to my parents, didn't sneak around or date multiple guys. Always working so hard to be perfect and coming up short._

 _What was wrong with letting go, just once?_

 _I took his challenge in full stride and smirked back at him to both of our surprises. I reached out. Instead of taking the cup from him I laid my hand over his and kept our gaze locked as I took a sip from whatever he'd been drinking._

 _Everything hit my senses at once, and I realized I'd made a huge mistake cause whatever he'd been drinking was_ strong _. I couldn't back down now, though! I'd look ridiculous! Even though I was cringing in the inside at the burning on my tongue, I swallowed and smiled back at him with ease._

 _Interest flickered in his eyes._

 _My bravado faded as he leaned into me, and I bumped my head on the fridge behind me. He held my gaze steadily, like a predator watching his prey. Our noses were lightly touching as he looked at me through lidded eyes. Uh oh._

 _"You're playing with fire Sakura." He stated as if it was the simplest thing in the world. He paused for a second, impossibly close and eyes flicking to my lips. His intent was obvious, but he wasn't moving. Sasuke's giving me an out, I realized. He's letting me know his next move and giving me time bow out. Everything around us slowed down, even time._

 _1 second goes by, and the skin on the nape of my neck raises as his fingers brush across. There was something I was thinking about earlier. Who was it I was hiding from? It didn't even matter now._

 _2 seconds pass by. His face is getting bigger, to the point where it's starting to blur. His lips are the only clear focal point._

 _3 seconds go by, and I haven't moved away, and I can feel the satisfaction coming off of him. I've reached my decision. I close my eyes and lean in the rest of the way._

 _The fourth second is delicious and feels like satin against my lips. It's a simple kiss, but there's a hidden power there that leaves me weak in the knees. I'm scared to ruin it, so I say frozen to my spot as he tilts my head up for a better angle. I'll let him take the lead; he knows what he's doing._

 _Then, everything fast forwards, and the kiss has ended way too early._

 _When I open my eyes and look up at him, the moment feels surreal. Sasuke is really in front of me, and his lips were pressed against mine. This is the first time he's ever shown an inkling to being attracted to me, and it blows me away that he is. He gives me a coy smile; my expression must look like an astonished fish._

 _"Think you can handle the heat, Sakura?" He whispers, and before I know it he's leaning in again._

 _I panic. Anxiety shoots up my lungs and past my windpipe._

 _"I-I think I have to go to the bathroom!" I blurted, eyes wide. My ears are buzzing, and I couldn't hear if he responded. All I could hear was my heart thudding hard as I pulled away from him and broke through his arm barrier. I don't stay long enough to gauge his reaction._

 _'Oh, my goodness woman you ruined it! What are you doing? No turning back now! Run, run as fast as your legs can go you fool!' My mind yelled. So I did, I bolted from him like a bat outta hell. Ino's standing in the hallway, and she's seen everything. I can tell from her gaping mouth and disbelieving eyes. She doesn't try to stop me as I rush past her. She must be as shocked as I am. I should've known, however, that Sasuke was a predator that enjoyed the chase._

End Flashback

I sighed, smashing my forehead against my medical text as Ino chattered on. There was no way I was gonna get anything done with my thoughts so...distracted. I gave up and shut my book, watching whatever TV show Ino had turned on.

* * *

Work the next day was exhausting and annoying. I'd done enough running back and forth around the hospital to skip out on the gym today, plus the bitching from Tsunade had broken me down mentally. All I wanted to do was sit at home in a big fluffy blanket and eat mini chocolate doughnuts. There were only five minutes left of my shift; I noticed as I glanced into Tsunade's office before I finished.

"You called for me shisou?" I asked politely. Why she insisted for me to call her in such a traditional way, I'll never know, but I knew better than to argue with her.

"Ah, yes! My star pupil. Sit down." She motioned me with her hand to sit across from her. I'd been running around checking on her patients all day; it wasn't uncommon for us to sit down and discuss how I was treating them and why.

I sat down and relaxed in the chair. Tsunade was a hardass, but she had taken me under her wing for a reason. There were a lot of similarities between her and me; we'd worked from the bottom up to get here. I'd also adopted my rough and tough exterior from this woman. I admired her a lot and worked hard to impress her. Instead of barking at me to sit up properly, she gave me a knowing smile and leaned back in her chair.

"So, I guess we should start with the guy in room 306B. His neck is healing nicely but-" I started, but she cut me off. Which she tended to do from time to time, but I knew she didn't do it to be disrespectful.

"Actually Sakura, I didn't call you in here for the patients. I wanna talk about you," she pulled out a hidden drawer and fiddled with something I couldn't see. Then I heard clinking and almost groaned. Tsunade placed a small ceramic cup in front of me and popped the lid off a sake bottle. Without a word she filled it to the brim and then poured one for herself.

"Pretty sure it's illegal to have alcohol in your desk, shisou." I teased.

She smirked at me, completely aware that it was illegal. "What are they gonna do, fire their best Doctor that runs the place? Drink; it takes the edge off." I watched as she threw her head back and downed the sake like it was water. I took a small sip and scrunched my nose as it slid down my throat. I'd never been a big fan of alcohol.

" _You know if you ever want to try out drinking, you can do it around here. I won't tell" Sasuke winked, offering his red cup to me._

No no no. I'm at work, no time for Sasuke flashbacks in front of my boss.

"I got a call from Kakashi today." She said. My face twisted, trying to recall who that was. The name sounded familiar.

"The captain of the police department." She clarified.

"Oh." Well shit. It looks like the cat was out of the bag, and I'd done so well not thinking about it today. I couldn't go one day without talking about this; fuck my life. I was about to get scolded into oblivion.

"Yeah, why didn't you tell me?" She demands.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it honestly," I admitted. I was feeling particularly small at this moment. Like a little kid explaining to their mother how there were blue crayon marks on the ceiling.

"That's understandable. Kakashi told me what's been going on. Do you know who this Hidan fellow is?" She crossed her fingers and leaned on her desk, looking at me seriously.

"No, and I don't see why he'd come after me. I'm a no name. So I'm pretty sure that I should be good right?"

Tsunade frowned.

"I would love to reassure you and make you feel better, but the Akatsuki is no joke. They're dangerous Sakura, and wholly unpredictable. Especially this Hidan fellow."

I buried my face in my hands and groaned. That was officially the last time I tried to go out of my way to help someone. I thought it was supposed to give me good karma? Or positive vibes for my chakra or something. Where was the good karma dammit!

Tsunade reached over and placed her hand on my shoulder, forcing me to lean up and look at her.

"Hey, I didn't say you were doomed. I just want you to be on guard." She said trying to comfort me. I nodded weakly.

"Why would he tell you all this?" I asked curiously. I was pretty sure that the police didn't disclose information on open cases like this usually. Especially to someone's boss unless necessary. It made me feel like my situation could be worse than what they were telling me. My skin prickled at the thought.

"Who do you think the police come to for critical medical examinations? Plus I know that brat from when he was a kid. I helped train him." She revealed.

"Train him in what?" I inquired. She snorted.

"Martial arts, what else?" I knew Tsunade could probably break a man's jaw with one punch, so I didn't doubt this new knowledge whatsoever.

"And I also know a good bit about this Akatsuki mobster, Hidan. He's a sick fuck, seriously. Pretty sure he's part of a cult or something which is why I'm willing to cooperate with your situation. Any day you need off, or if you're under house arrest, just let me know. I'll give you PTO no questions asked. Even if it's just because you're feeling overwhelmed."

"I'm only on watch for 72 hours-" I tried to tell her, but she cut me off again.

"Then you shouldn't need to use it. And I hope you don't, Sakura. You're my student, but you've also become someone dear to me, and I worry about your safety. And you work hard enough as it is. Added stress will be so unhealthy for you."

I didn't know whether to be touched that she thought so highly of me, or insulted at the fact that nobody thought I could take care of myself. I should be thankful for the possibility of taking some much needed time off. I had a fried brain, and my whole body was tired. She was right. It _was_ overwhelming, and one problem that I'd like to blatantly (and been desperately trying to) ignore. "Alright, thank you shisou," I said. Tsunade gave me a genuine smile and poured a second cup for herself. Good grief, I'd barely even touched mine.

"So, who do they have covering you? I hope it's not that Idate fellow, he's been known to fall asleep on the job."

"No, Sasuke Uchiha's been watching over me during the day. I think he switches with someone during the night shift, though." She paused her cup only halfway to her open lips and stared at me. With a flick of this wrist, she downed the contents, again, and wiped the residue with her sleeve.

"They have Sasuke watching you? It must be something serious then."

"Well, he volunteered." I shifted awkwardly in my seat under her gaze. She seemed perplexed with her widening eyes and her mouth agape.

"He did? But why? Kakashi told me that kid is on the fast track to detective…" She pondered, but I had a feeling that question wasn't just for me.

I scoffed and looked away. "The hell if I know."

"I see…" Tsunade said slowly. "Well, if you need me for anything, I'm here." She reiterated, and poured herself a third cup.

I laughed nervously. "You're not letting me out of here until we finish the bottle are you?" I asked accusingly. Tsunade simply gave me a knowing smile. I had my answer.

Three bottles and several hours later, I was happily buzzing and cuddled up in bed knowing that I was half way through my 72-hour sentence.

* * *

 **Wooooo, finally some action. Things are starting to get exciting;p**

 **R &R plz, I love you all!**

 **Peace~**


	5. Authors Note: New Chapters Schedule

Hello all! First I would like to apologize for my sudden longer absence. I have been writing, but when life makes changes you go with it. The major reason I haven't been posting is because I have moved into an apartment and don't have internet yet. I tend to work a lot (I landed a job making pretty good money) and I also work nights, so I've been too busy to get anything set up. That, and it's also nice to have solace from the virtual world from time to time. I'm young and still learning on how to balance my responsibilities.

Again, that doesn't mean I have abandoned my stories. I'm actually ahead a good bit of chapters for TBT and Hydrangea, and I think one or two chapters ahead for Rocket Queen that I have yet to post.

So! As part of my apology to my readers, I am going to post weekly in the month of April to catch up on the time I've missed out beginning April 2nd on Sunday. TBT will be first, and then the next day I will update Hydrangea, and then Rocket Queen. Please forgive me and continue enjoying my writing!


	6. Flesh and Cheap Perfume

**Hello all! Thank you to all of my readers for all your support, especially on this story. This story is surprisingly the most personal to me, so I'm glad so many ppl have taken a liking to it.**

 **I'm going to be working on improving my writing methods as well, especially the "show, don't tell" concept. So if my writing looks different that's why. Let me know what you think of it! Constructive criticism can only make me better, but flames will hurt my feelings so don't do that please**

 **Reply Section:**

 **Hitomi Star: Yeah, Walmart is quite the place, isn't it? It's more the ppl tho that are interesting.**

 **Chrismazing: I'm glad you like the story even if it's out of your usual genre! I appreciate the read.**

 **Toffeemilk: I apologize for my slip-ups! I reread my stories so many times that everything just starts to blur together haha I'll go through and fix everything I can**

 **Another thing: there are some parts that are going to start being more…explicit content. It's NOT going to be distasteful and its kind of embarrassing to write. It's NOT going to be ball-slappy super core writing lol But just a warning. Let me know what you think, really, and if ppl don't like it I can get rid of it. I don't mind if you encourage it either….:p**

 **I will put an asterisk when some mature content will be displayed to let you all know.**

 **So, with nothing better to do:**

 **Chapter 5: Flesh and Cheap Perfume**

* * *

 _My hot body felt like a thermostat with the red line creeping up farther and farther, till it hit the crest and exploded. I didn't think my face could get darker than my hair at this point. 'Thank goodness the lights were off so he couldn't see', is what I would have thought, but my mind could barely function long enough to thread a full sentence together._

 _When had he taken his shirt off?_

 _I was lost in the moment, his hands felt wonderful. His heated touch seared to my burning skin, but I wanted to burn. I wanted to drown in the fire he was making. It was painfully pleasant. But I was anxious and borderline shaking. My nerves were burning faster than my skin. I was already lost in the sensations. My inexperience only made his touches intensify as if my flesh was new to feeling. I didn't know what to do with my hands as they trembled at my sides. Hold him? Keep them stuck to the sheets? Shit. Could he tell how inexperienced I was? Would he stop if I wasn't making him feel the same way I did?_

 _Sasuke broke away from me, his breath heavy as he panted against his lips. His hand got lost under my dress at a point I couldn't remember, and I couldn't stop a mewl escaping my swollen mouth as he swiped his thumb against my inner thigh and pushed his fingers deeper. His fingers were overpowering driving me somewhere else. It was like an outer body experience where I couldn't feel my body but I could feel everything he was doing to it. My hands clenched the sheets underneath us so hard they started to cramp. It was getting difficult to keep quiet because of his…ministrations._

" _Ah!" I small sigh slipped out, and my right hand shot out to grab onto his biceps. My fingernails dug in, and it only excited him._

 _His hand reappeared, but just long enough to grab the ends of my dress pooled at my waist. In one swift moment, he hiked the dress and my bra over my chest, exposing me fully to him._

 _My heart sped up at an inconceivable rate._

 _He gave me no time to be shy about it or try and cover myself up. He paused momentarily, drinking me in as I felt his warmth move away from my body. He scanned me with his head tilted to the side. Oh dear; I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze. It was too embarrassing to imagine what look was on my face. Then he was closing the distance again. My heart jumped, unprepared, when he grabbed my wrist gently. I looked up at him with a questioning gaze, and he gave me a sly smile. He brought my hand to cup his-_

I bolted upright, panting heavily. My body felt on fire; was I running a fever? My brow and arms were wet with sweat, and my heart was beating a thousand miles per hour. My fists relaxed and unclenched my sheets that were hanging off the bed; I pulled them off almost completely. One hand rose to my chest to calm down. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I opened them again to look at the time. I groaned; it was two in the morning.

I dragged my hands down my slick face. I flopped back down, the bed bouncing at the sudden movement. My arms flew out and dropped on the bed like deadweights. I stared up to the ceiling, even though I couldn't see it, until time blurred with my eyesight.

These memories were going be the death of me. I vowed at that moment never to drink that much again with shisou, alcohol opened the floodgates of everything I locked away. Frustrated and tired I threw the covers over my sweaty body, ignored the slick feeling between my tightly pressed thighs, and pretended to dream of happy shit; like puppies or anything else innocent and virginal and in no way connected to sex.

* * *

Ino took one look at my complexion that morning grimaced. "Woah, you get hit by a truck this morning?"

My nose crinkled and I glared at her. "Shut up Ino." I took a long swing of super-charged caffeinated tea. I knew I looked like shit. I had piles of bags under my eyes from uneasy sleep the night before because I was too afraid to keep dreaming. All night I was having flashbacks which left me uneasy, hot, and sticky.

Fuck Sasuke and this torture, seriously. I'd practically been a nun before he came along, and now all I had was dirty dreams about him. It was starting to feel like an obsession. Or an addiction that I needed to cure myself of. Fast.

Step 1: Admitting you have a problem.

"Seriously, get off my ass and go do your job." I berated. I wiped my nose with the end of my sleeve, and whipped my pink haired head away from her. I glued my eyes on the cup in my hand. I was on a short fuse today; sleep deprivation does that to a girl. Ino narrowed her perfectly lined eyes and crinkled her pixie nose.

"What's up with you?"

I sighed and set my paper cup down, pushing Rose locks out of my face. I knew I shouldn't be so cranky since it was a special day. Today was the last day of my surveillance, the home stretch. I could practically see the finish line! Then my life would go back to normal. No more looking over my shoulder every ten seconds for somebody following me (because they were). No more awkward trips to the police department or reminding myself to wear pants when I walk by the windows in my apartment. No more Sasuke...

I'd go back to my old life, being a Physician's Assistant and a nun. How fun.

 _'Sarcasm and crankiness isn't a good combination.'_ My mind goaded, but I paid it no heed. All my thoughts were going to be fuzzy until the caffeine kicked in. Right now I had a feeling they were telling me to ignore my tired eyes and play nice. I absentmindedly twirled my hair and frowned. I tried to catch Ino's eyes again.

"I'm sorry, it's nothing. I'm just ready for this police stuff to be over."

Ino shifted the weight from one foot to another. The frown left her face, but the crease in her brow stayed. Her glossed lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. Irritation ran through me and I already had a headache today. My usual patience had been shortened considerably. _'Just fucking say something or get over it',_ I seethed, but kept my jaw clenched. We were best friends, and I had no problem telling her everything. I trusted her. Sometimes she just needed to back off and give me time to wrap my head around it. I needed a chance to understand it myself.

Ino decided against pushing me further. She planted a fake smile on her lips, said a quick goodbye, and left. There was contempt in her eyes as she passed me though. She was letting it go…for now. I immediately felt guilt-ridden. There'd been no reason to treat her like that.

Suddenly my tea tasted like dirt, and I wasn't enjoying my break anymore. The crankiness returned full-fledged. I dumped the rest of my tea in the sink, the cup crunching under my grip. I threw it in the trash and marched over to the small table I'd been sitting at. I grabbed my papers and left the break room. I clocked back in, swiping the paper through quickly, and headed to my office for some privacy. I just needed to concentrate, get my shit done, and find my happy place.

I opened the door to my small office, and almost yelped when I spotted Sasuke seated in the armchair in the corner. The same one I planned on taking a nap in later if I got another break. I clutched the papers to my chest tightly. Why did he always pop up at the worst moments?

"What are you doing in here?" I asked a little sharper than I meant. Or maybe I did mean it. I didn't know anymore. His eyes widened just a bit, probably at my tone, but kept his face solid as a stone. When he didn't comment right away, I walked to my desk without glancing at him. I dropped my papers down carelessly. I plopped down in my swivel chair sloppily. I hung my arms off the sides, crossed my legs, and sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night," I told him, rubbing my temples.

"I can tell." He commented offhandedly. He was reading a magazine, about guns it looked like, to keep himself occupied. _'Men.'_

"Not helping right now." I murmured. I peered through my fingers to see him flash me a smirk. Sasuke was a blunt person, and he relished in it. In I high school all the teachers made money off him because he had no filter. Most of the time it was for vulgar language, other times it was just for bluntly shouting sex when someone was insinuating something in a book. I was strangely appreciative of the attribute. People who beat around the bush and don't mean what they say were aggravating.

"Anything in particular bugging you?" He asked, which surprised me. Engaging in regular conversation wasn't his thing. But hey, I was finding out life was full of surprises. And this was the older Sasuke in front of me, not the high school one who made the calc teacher turn red when he made a '69' comment in class.

"Weird dreams." _'about you'_ my mind finished, but I couldn't say that. I already creeped myself out with the unhealthy amount I thought about him. There was no reason to let him in on it. Or anyone for that matter. Today was our last day together after all, and soon, hopefully, I would forget just as he would.

He closed his magazine and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. "Wanna tell me what about?"

I slid my hand down my face, and slightly turned my chair towards his direction. His sharp eyes were on mine steadily, genuinely invested. Have those eyes steady on me, again, made it hard to breathe. Old Sasuke I commonly thought of as a handsome boy with sharp features. Looking at my know was a man with a strong jaw line and biceps I could use as pillows. But a rare soft look in the eyes, a look he probably didn't know was there.

A silver lining, like a ripple in a perfect pool of obsidian under the night sky. It soured my mood and lit me up at the same time. I was so over split feelings. I rubbed at my eye, careful not to touch my half-assed mascara, and looked away.

"They're kind of personal," I admitted, blushing lightly.

Sasuke's thick lashes flickered, and in a flash he was sitting up and back to reading his book.

"We should go get a drink or something later, to celebrate." He said as he flipped the page and glued his onyx orbs to the paper. My blush deepened, and I peered at him from underneath my lashes. A small smile came to my lips.

"What for?" I inquired. _'Do you always question a man when he asks you out for a drink? Stupid.'_ But it wasn't like that. He was just being friendly. He had to be happy to be off babysitting duty as well. That, and it allowed him to drink on the job.

"Today's the last day I stalk you." He stated calmly, flipping the page again. He grinned when I busted out laughing.

Even if it was him I was moody about, Sasuke knew how to cheer me up without trying.

* * *

I managed to finish the day a step above zombie-like state; slow and groaning but still able to get shit done. Maybe it was Sasuke making me giddy; my pulse was only this high after attempting to run a mile under 7 minutes. All Sasuke had to do was be in the vicinity and it was like I'd run a marathon. Maybe it was the tea with extra caffeine. Or the final hours of my sentence. Either way, I had a little pep in my step to finish out the day. I'd managed to file everything correctly and still put a smile on for patients. Tsunade even bought it when she had a sharp eye for any bullshit or laziness. The day didn't seem as slow, although time stood still in my office (where Sasuke sat most of the time). I punched in my time card, and soon I was going to be free! This was cause for a little celebratory food!

* * *

Chocolatte was my favorite little coffee shop. Everyone said it was the best coffee, but I didn't know since I didn't drink coffee. It had a large neon sign that hung off the building, blinking blue and purple lights until the place closed around 10 PM. It was a small, conveniently placed across the street, and just popular enough to stay open. It'd been a while since I'd gone, and today deserved a little pick me up. Most of the time I got tea or hot cocoa. They had the creamiest hot cocoa I'd ever had and even put little marshmallows in the shape of stars on top.

I parked my car at the apartment complex and locked it. Instead of heading into the doors I kept walking, making a point not to look at Sasuke's car. I bounced across the street quickly. I breezed past a couple of buildings and an alleyway before I was standing under the neon sign and smelling the blend of spices and flour. My nose wafted as I opened the door, the coffee beans were overpowering. I ordered a tall Chai and a crescent roll, my usual. The place wasn't busy yet, so my order came through quick and easy. I told the server a small thank you cheerfully. I grabbed my stuff to go and walked back out the door smiling. The bags under my eye still felt heavy, but I'd gotten over the sluggish feeling I'd had all day.

I was walking past the alleyway when my throat started getting dry. I planned on waiting until I got to my apartment before I dug in, but a taste wouldn't hurt. I leaned my head down closer to take a whiff of the delicious drink before I took a sip, and that's when I smelled it.

The pungent smell of flesh and cheap perfume.

My nose crinkled in disgust, and I held the cup out as far away as I could. The smell didn't go away, though. It wasn't coming from my paper cup thank goodness. I looked around and saw piles of bags in the alley. And then a lumpy, laid out object. Something was laying on top. And it smelled horrible.

I'd walked past this alley before, why hadn't I smelled it then? And it was so sickly familiar. I'd smelled it at the hospital before, I realized, from the dead body of a hooker they'd wheeled by my office. Deaths at the hospital were common, unfortunately, and I knew the scent of blood anywhere. Iron, flesh, and a strange flowery fragrance from the women. Sometimes the men smelled like pinecones from their cologne.

I dropped my cup, tasty flavors long forgotten. I didn't pay any attention to the heat on my shoe from the splash, all of my senses were concentrated ahead of me.

 _'Pick up your phone now, and dial 911'_ I thought, but my body drifted into the alley. I couldn't just call in because I smelled something funky. I needed to investigate and assess the situation. I was a PA; it was my sworn duty to help anyone in need. If somebody was back there, hurt or possibly dying, I had to help. I _wanted_ to help.

I cursed when I realized I wasn't carrying my traveling medical bag. It was across the street and up three flights of stairs, not even fully stocked. There wasn't much I could do, but my good samaritan side was urging me closer (that always got me in trouble, but I was determined). I couldn't push it aside. I crept closer cautiously and tried to asses my surroundings. There was a possibility of walking into danger, but it was the risk I had to take. I had pepper spray on me, just in case, but I'd left my knife in the car. I just had to hope I still had good aim.

I snuck behind a dumpster and peered around it. I reeled back in disgust and slapped a hand to my face to block my stinging senses. There were piles of trash bags at the end, leaky and overflowing. And a corpse. Laying on top of them like it had been dragged out and thrown there. The limbs and head jutted out at awkward angles, unnatural for a human body's flexibility. The neck looked broken, with its ear touching its sharp shoulder. It was a girl who was bonier than average, I could see her small curves and a breast sticking out from her shredded clothes. Nobody had bothered to save her decency, even in death. It was a more disgusting thought than seeing the sickly green color of her skin.

I swallowed down my fear and took a step out to get a decent look at her. Now, why would I do that? I don't fucking know; I should've been running for the hills at this point. Something stuck me there though. I was a medical professional, and all medical professionals had a sick fascination with death.

Her skin was white as a sheet, on the verge of turning blue/green and there was purpling around her neck to suggest strangulation. But there was blood soaking everything. Why would her clothes be drenched if she was strangled? You're a professional Sakura. You know what to look for. Look at the color. Follow the trails.

Stab wounds, one on each limb and then two in the center on the thoracic cavity. The openings were crusted with crimson, but new blood was still oozing out in thin lines. She barely had in blood left in her body.

She'd been stabbed before getting strangled, I deduced in horror. And the wounds had reopened after being thrown here. I almost gagged when I reached out to touch her arm. I pulled my sleeve over my fingers so I wouldn't be directly touching it. I poked her, like a gang of kids finding a dead squirrel, to test the firmness of her muscles.

She must've died within the last four hours or so. Her body wasn't hard, but it wasn't sunken either. If she'd already gone through rigor mortis, all the myosin in her muscles would break down to nothing, all her sodium channels being flooded open. The constant flow would contract and harden her muscles until it ran out and there was nothing left but limp ligaments.

That meant she'd been murdered so fresh you could still smell the stink from her soiling herself; they hadn't even cleaned her up. They only thing they'd done was take one of her fingers; the ring finger from her left hand. It wasn't a clean break either, phalange bone was sticking out and some skin was still hanging off the side. I wouldn't be able to identify if she'd been married; if there was someone at home waiting for her. I'd have to look at her face for any possible identification. I saved the face for last because it made everything seem more intimate. So real. That this was really a girl who'd been alive and not just some well-done Halloween prop. This girl needed the respect though, her body was still part of her. I dragged my gaze there, glued onto the pressed on lashes, empty eye sockets, and soft cheekbones. Then it stuck, seeing the piled mop of hair on her head. The recognition of her face shook something in me. I'd _seen_ her, not even four days ago.

I gagged and stumbled away. And then I was gasping and in hysterics.

"Oh my God." I managed to get out. I stumbled and forced myself to turn away. I needed to call 911 immediately. I reached for my phone, but my hands were shaking so fiercely I couldn't dial. I needed to create some space first and calm down. I wouldn't be any help to the police if I was hyperventilating. I managed two heavy steps before I froze again. My vision was getting blurry, and my heavy breathing was making me lightheaded.

"Sakura!" I heard a masculine voice call.

Sasuke was running towards me, his brows drawn together and nostrils flared. He must've followed me over here when he saw me turn into the alley. I turned to move out of his way and pointed towards the body. He'd already seen it though, coming to the rescue like some capeless superhero. Instead of rushing past me, though, he came right to me. A surprising move, but welcome. The feel of warm skin and polyester wrapped around my shoulders, and I felt his shirt getting wet.

I didn't even realize I'd been crying.

I buried my face into his embrace. He laid a soothing hand on top of my head.

"Let's get you out of here." He said softly.

* * *

I sat in my bedroom, on my bed and unmoving from the window. I was still in shock, and flashing red and blue lights were mesmerizing. Sasuke got a call ten minutes into the investigation across the street. He was expecting the call since he had to report; he called it in after all. I couldn't hear what he said, he walked into the hallway and I'd barely even heard footsteps.

My gaze was lost in that murder scene across the street, but it unfocused. Searched.

' _Did they see the marks on her neck? The missing appendage?'_ Probably not. They had forensic scientists to tell them all that. A cop's job was to figure out not how, but _who_. And whoever it was, they weren't right in the head. Not after seeing the state she was in. They'd stabbed her and made her suffer _before_ strangling her. To the point of her wide eyes popping out of her skull, the black from her messy eyeliner getting absorbed into her still wet eyeballs. Her face had almost looked demonic; not only was her eyes hanging from her face like two paddleballs hanging off the string, but her ruby red lipstick had smeared to a pointed smile. It was still so crisp in my mind. I'd only glance at her face for a moment, but it was burned in the back of my corneas forever. What a horrible way to go. It almost made me tear up again just thinking about it.

"Sakura."

Sasuke was standing in the doorway with a solemn look on his face, cellphone still in his hand. He was looking down at my feet. He didn't meet my gaze. It made me worried. I tore myself away from the window. I got up and wiped my sweaty palms on the back of my jeans.

"Yeah?"  
"I need you to come with me back to the station." I felt the bags under my eyes pull as my sockets widened. They didn't think I had anything to do with this right? _'This is the second time in three days you've been involved, what do you think?'_ As if reading my mind, Sasuke spoke again.

"They don't think you did anything. Kakashi wants to see you as a witness." He explained. I let go of a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

"Alright."

He nodded and walked off while stuffing his hands in his pockets. Any softness he'd shown me back in the alley was gone now. Professional Sasuke was standing in front of me; serious, withdrawn, and intimidating. I followed him without a peep. I wiped at my mascara to make sure I didn't have any streaks from crying. Then I sniffed and straightened my back. Looks like it'd be another awkward trip down to the station.

"I'd say it's nice to see you again, but these _are_ unpleasant circumstances." Kakashi started. He seemed relaxed enough, leaning over to set his elbows on his desk. He folded his hands together, then quietly studied my reaction. He was gently probing me, as if not to scare me. Or he was searching for evidence through my reaction itself. I twiddled my thumbs in my lap.

"We're not saying that the intentions had anything to do with you, but you were first on the scene. We just wanna ask you a few questions." His demeanor was pleasant, eyes slightly crinkled, yet it rubbed me the wrong way. He was talking down to me like an incompetent twelve year old.

My anger flared, and I got the sense he was lying to me. If it'd been an accident, why would he feel the need to reassure me that I wasn't the motive? My fists clenched, my shoulders getting tight. And then I couldn't hold it in.

"Nothing to do with me?!" Kakashi sat up straighter at my outburst. Then his eyebrows drooped and he frowned. A guilty look like when a client was embarrassed to admit their symptoms to me. The _'I shoved the remote up my ass, but I'm going to tell you that I accidently sat on it' look._ The captain was giving me the _exact_ same look and it scared me. I knew why they were really bringing me in.

That dead girl was connected to me, somehow. And I needed to know why.

"Sakura-" Sasuke started to warn.

"Shut up." I hissed, and instantly my mind was screaming at me. _'You gutsy idiot. He could handcuff your wrists before you have a chance to blink.'_ But I was past the reserved stage. I had more fire in my spirit than they were giving me credit. I wasn't some delicate flower like my namesake labeled me, I could handle all the gory details. _'Literally the worst time for a pun, girl'._

"That corpse was the girl from Walmart that day. You told me she was Hidan's girlfriend. Only days after I meet her, she shows up in an alley conveniently placed across the street from my apartment and where my favorite coffee shop is, after I've gotten an unlabeled letter, and you're telling me it has nothing to do with me?" I questioned.

Kakashi sighed, and rubbed the side of his neck.

"Your right, it was presumptuous of me to try and trick you." He pulled out a clear plastic bag with a piece of paper inside. In black marker was "evidence" written across the top. Taking a closer look, I noticed that it was the 'love' letter I'd given Sasuke.

"Captain, you'll be putting her in more danger." Sasuke's tone was icy cold and sent a shiver down my back. This was what I wanted though. I needed to know what was happening. If they left me in the dark, I'd blindly have to rely on other people to protect me. Someone would slip up at some point. I'd be defenseless from my ignorance.

There was plenty of bite behind Sasuke's tone, but Kakashi showed no visible interest and only put up a hand to stop him. He gave a stern look to Sasuke, who was leaning against the wall behind me, and then softened his eyes at me.

"We had just gotten this back a couple hours before the most recent incident. Sasuke sent it to the labs to scan for prints, skin flakes, or hair follicles. Anything that would have DNA traces. And there was something strange about it."

"Strange how?"

"There wasn't anything on it. Absolutely nothing to trace."

"Okay…" I scrunched my face, trying to decipher what that meant.  
"An average guy writing a girl a love letter wouldn't worry about prints. The person who sent this made sure it couldn't be traced back. A guy in love wouldn't take the extra time to think of that."

"So it was a fake."

"We believe it was a message. Read it again."

I reached out slowly and dragged it closer to me. I reread the lines again. _'Yup, still creepy.'_ I didn't think it was a big deal, but then the phrase on the second to last line stuck out to me. _Under gleaming brights and neon lights, I'll make my presence known._ _Lights, like the one I'd been standing under when I found the body…the blood in my veins turned into ice_ _._ My voice barely got above a whisper.

"Neon lights…near the alley."

Kakashi snuck a secretive look at Sasuke, but I caught it. I'd hit the nail on the head.

"Don't worry Sakura. We've got the best cops and detectives here in Konoha. Unfortunately, it looks like your 72-hour surveillance is going to be extended until we can ensure you're out of danger. We're going to have to alert your employer about this as well."

I simply nodded, but I hadn't heard half of what he'd said. My mind was reeling. There'd been a message alright; that body was meant for me. To find it; to know that _they_ know. Where I live, what my name is, everything. My breathing picked up, but I quickly corrected it since I was under Kakashi's scrutinizing gaze.

My back shot straight up when a rough hand caressed my shoulder. I titled my head towards it.

It was Sasuke. He was standing right next to me now. He wasn't looking at me but at his captain. Kakashi was staring back at him, and I had the feeling that a silent feud was happening right in front of me. I was completely clueless on what it was about.

Kakashi was the first to tear his gaze away, only to turn his hooded eyes on me. He have my another curling smile.

"Alright Sakura, thank you for sharing. You can wait outside and Sasuke will take you home in a couple minutes."

I nodded, and got up slowly with Sasuke's hand still on my shoulder. I said a small but pleasant goodbye to Kakashi. He nodded back, and Sasuke escorted me out to the bench just outside the captain's office. I sat down silently.

"Just wait here. I'll be back in a minute." Sasuke said softly, a stark contrast to his tone in the office. He slowly shut the door with a small 'click'.

I found that I couldn't sit still, anxiously bouncing my leg and looking around. Were they talking about me? Stuff they didn't want to say in front of me? Kakashi had no problem telling me all the details, but Sasuke had stopped him. Why had Sasuke stopped him? If some psyco was sending me strange letters and dead bodies, shouldn't I know the incentive? Shouldn't I know why?

I'd been so tired all day but I was alert now. I scanned the room. No one was around. Not a soul even glancing in this direction. And the wall was thin. I could already hear them talking, although the voices were fuzzy. The tones were easy to make out, but not the muffled words.

As swift as I could, I turned on the bench and pressed my ear against the shuttered window. I strained my hearing. The voices became clear, and the first one I heard was Kakashi's slightly raspy drawl.

"I'm going to keep you on detail. In fact, you're going to be in charge of detail. I'll bring a detective in, but it seems your quick thinking is already exemplary. If you do well on this case, I should have no problem convincing your dad that you deserve to be a detective."

"Thank you sir."

"Don't get too cocky though; with the case or with her. Go get em' tiger."

"Don't call me that."

I almost laughed and gave away my position. Sasuke sounded like a pouting child being called _tiger_ , but it didn't seem right with the atmosphere.

* * *

 **Finished! Let me know what you think? Hydrangea will be updated tomorrow, most likely late night so be on the lookout.**


	7. Death by Couch

**I'm back with the next chapter, as promised!**

 **Oh, I had a review kind of complaining about the amount of cursing. I would like to clarify: there's a reason this is rated M, and having a vulgar vocabulary doesn't make u a 'teenager'. The image of Sakura is supposed to be proper and mature on the outside, and very dramatic, exaggerated, or expressive on the inside. So yes, she does curse more when she's thinking to herself, who doesn't?, but she knows better to voice them.**

 **Otherwise, I appreciate all the love this has been getting! It feels so slow to me when I'm writing this because I know how badly I want to get to some future scenes. I hope you continue to enjoy my story!**

 **Chapter 6: Death by Couch**

* * *

"So he won't leave you alone now?"

"Yupp. Stuck to me like a fly on shit."

"Your not shit Sakura."

"Well I feel like it."

It had been two days since I'd seen that dead body. Two days longer that I expected the cops to be hanging around, but now everything had changed. Some lunatic was on the loose, and I had a sneaking suspicion that the guy not only knew who I was, but he wanted to pull me in to whatever shenanigans he was doing. I had a feeling he didn't handle rejection well, if I ever did come face to face with whoever.

The first thing I'd done after Sasuke drove me back to my apartment was call Ino. I thought about telling my parents, but I knew my mother would overreact and want to be see me or drag me away from my life. That would just put them in danger. But I had to tell somebody. Ino panicked over the phone screaming and yelling, I just held the phone away from my ear, but she wasn't in a rush to come to my rescue. She called me every day since to make sure I was okay though, which was a little irritating but I appreciated it. However, Sasuke was a different story.

Sasuke had come to my rescue, literally. Now my safety was his full responsibility, I'd heard the captain say it himself. What a way to be rewarded, with more babysitting. It was a little unsettling knowing that not only would he be hanging around, but that he'd _have_ to hang around. By obligation. Because I was his job, and he was damn good at his job. He was everywhere; down in the lobby, in my office, I couldn't even workout or go running without him following me (and it made me wholly self-conscious, no more tank tops for me). Which meant he was always on my mind when I wasn't thinking about dead bodies. It was about 82% Sasuke; 18% dead bodies. Pretty sure my thoughts were unhealthy and a mental illness waiting to happen.

I didn't know which was more disturbing; that I had dead bodies on the brain, or that Sasuke was what I thought more about.

My migraine throbbed.

"It's not good to let all this stress build you know."

I could tell from Ino's voice that she was half teasing, half serious. Being fully serious all the time killed my mood and she knew that.  
"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I asked, rubbing my temples.  
"I dunno. They say yoga is pretty relaxing." Ino replied, lighthearted.  
"I don't have the patience for yoga." I told her. My body was programmed for pushing myself, running hard or doing some lifting. Yoga seemed like the opposite.

"Ergo; the point for yoga." I could practically see her eyes roll as she said it over the phone.

"I have nothing clever to say back to that." I admitted. She was right, after all. All the tension building up would just make things worse on me. Then I would be the one locked up in the psych ward as some real psycho was on the loose.  
"It's decided then; we'll try yoga." She chirped. I didn't have the energy to argue. I relented.

"Alright. Well, I gotta go. Talk to ya later?" I said, running a hand through my messy hair.

"Okay; give Sasuke a kiss for me!"

I growled and hung up on her. I huffed and tossed my cell next to me. _'She's just teasing; no need to take it so seriously.'_ But just hearing his name triggered this irrational tick in my heart. It would've been better if I'd never met him again. I knew that sounded bitter, but I had my reasons. And I wasn't ready to own up to them yet.

I brushed the curtains away with my fingers and peeked out the window. Sasuke had moved his car so that it was parked right next to mine. The weird thing was, it was always Sasuke. I'd only seen him switch shifts once at night, with a guy I didn't recognize. The next morning when I looked out the window again Sasuke was already back. Right now he was probably sitting in the lobby bored out of his mind or harassing Mr. Reaves for fun. The thought made me smile a little, but I quickly erased it. For one reason or another, the stars had aligned and brought Sasuke back into my life. Maybe it was trying to remind me of my past mistakes. Karma had put Sasuke in charge of stalking me so some weird mafia dude wouldn't murder my face off.

I felt a chill run up me, and then an image of the body I found flashed in the back of my eyes again.

I removed my fingers and watched the curtain fall back into place. I'd been told this Hidan fellow shouldn't even know where I live, but he had people mailing me untraceable letters and dropping girl's bodies just across the street from my apartment. Hell, maybe he'd done it himself. He could've walked past me on the street and I wouldn't have known. I didn't doubt the police or their abilities, I truly didn't, but I'd feel better if I knew what I was up against.

I was on my own though; Sasuke wouldn't tell me if I asked. I knew that after seeing his reaction when Kakashi started telling me details. He didn't want me knowing too much. I was a civilian who was already in over her head. I walked out into the living room, pant less now since Sasuke wasn't watching through the windows anymore, and got out my laptop. As soon as the server loaded I opened the browser and typed 'Hidan Akatsuki' and hit search.

I smacked the back of my head against the couch and groaned.

Thousands of results popped up, most of them posting from national and local news stations. How was I supposed to get through all this and know what's true and what's not? I should start with local news listings to get a basis of comparison. I clicked on the first result and the Konoha news station's website popped up. Headlines like 'Human Sex Trafficking Connected to Akatsuki?", "Drug trade getting worse", and "young girls disappearing at alarming rate" popped up. Disturbing as they were, they didn't tell me anything about Hidan. I clicked out and went on to the next one. Similar headlines.

The third one had a picture.

He wasn't half bad looking. In fact, he looked like he could easily be a model if it wasn't for that crazy look in his eyes. He had a smile on his face, but it was sinister and snarky. His hair looked to be light, blonde or grey, and it was neatly slicked back down his neck. He had to be around early thirties. I shuddered and lifted a hand to rub my arm. This picture was from a trial he'd been acquitted from for accusations of human sex trafficking. His smug face gave everything away; he was guilty of sinister things.

Is that why he's doing this? He's planning on kidnapping me and sending me off to the highest bidder desperate for a companion. No…I'm too old for that. They take girls early and as young as twelve; I was over ten years older. Not a bad start though, one hypothesis was better that none. I clicked out again. There had to be something else helpful.

A couple links later, I found something interesting. It had strange symbols in the name, but Hidan and Akatsuki were both in the key.

The page that came up was black with magenta colored lettering and weird symbols in the back. It reminded me of a fan made satanic website I'd accidentally stumbled upon late one night. It gave me the same creepy vibes as that one did, so I assumed I was in the right place. Reading deeper, I discovered that it was a site dedicated to the religion of Jashin. Apparently, they believed that through experiments and blood sacrifices, Jashin would grant you immortality. Their was a hierarchy in the religion and a list of rules that I didn't bother to go through. And then it spoke of the jewel and celebrity of their religion; Hidan.

 _'_ _Hidan of the famous group Akatsuki believes strongly in Jashin, to the point where he kills in Jashin's name with his signature large scythe. Hidan wears a necklace around his neck with our gods symbol, in which he's known to pray to for a good kill. He is skilled in the art of voodoo and only requires a victim's blood, in which he enjoys feeling the pain that his partners do. Hidan is a star among us, the first to obey Jashin's rules faithfully for over 100 years.'_

 _What?!_

Did I read that right? I scanned the words again in disbelief. Yes; I did. Mouth gaping, I slumped back into the couch and ran a hand down my face. I shut my laptop quickly; I didn't want to see it anymore. I'd seen the word Jashin in some of the news articles, but I hadn't known what it was or what it had to do with Hidan. But now I wished I'd never made the connection.

This man didn't just kill people, he tortured them. And liked it! _'Just like that girl in the alley. His own girlfriend.'_ What had I gotten myself into? I'd caught the attention of some crazy mobster who thought that if he killed enough people he'd become immortal. Is this what he wanted me for? I was his next victim? That girl, the one lying dead on the dumpster, the one I'd yanked off an old lady, had she known she was dating a monster? She couldn't have. _'Way to go Sakura. You've always attracted weird men, and now you have the clinically insane after you.'_

I sank further down into the couch, hoping that if I tried hard enough the couch would just swallow me whole and I'd never be heard from again. Death by couch and starvation was better than torture. No wonder the police didn't want to tell me anything. I should be running for the hills right now, changing my name to Jessica, and sucking up the rancid smell of the swamp. Instead they were leaving me here; why? Because they didn't want me to lose my job? _'Or maybe we're bait.'_ I thought bitterly. No, I don't think Kakashi would be so heartless. But honestly, I didn't even know the guy. Did Sasuke know? Is that why he wouldn't tell me anything?... If I was having trouble sleeping before, I was going to be an insomniac now.

* * *

Luckily, nothing had happened since. I could only hope that maybe recent horrifying events were mutually exclusive and coincidental. And as much as I complained about Sasuke, it was comforting to have him around. His presence was strong, and even if he didn't remember me I remembered him. He'd been a bit of a man whore in school, but I knew I could trust him. He'd been a faithful friend to Naruto for years, and one to me as default. Somewhere, deep in that muscled chest, he knew that. Unconsciously. Probably.

It felt like it'd been so long since I'd seen Naruto, but there was a rift between us in college. He still came over to hang out, but there was an invisible wall he'd put up. I often wondered what I'd done, but I remember all the times I rejected him. I guess it was something that had to be done if we were to remain friends. Rejection hurt.

There were times when I wanted to bring up the blonde haired whirlwind I knew as Naruto Uzamaki to Sasuke, but I decided against it. It would rise suspicions in him, and then he'd actually try and figure out how I knew him, and then he'd remember everything. For some reason, I felt as though he'd distance himself away from me, like he did with all his other one night stands.

Yeah, I'm a hypocrite. I've wanted him gone and out of my life for a while. But him taking himself off the case because we have some former attachments would hurt, no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

"Sakura?" Sasuke called.

"Hmm? What?" I murmmured.

"…Everything alright?" He asked hesitantly.

We were in my office. I was face down on my desk over my papers, my arms folded over the top of my head to block out the light. I hadn't been asleep, but I'd been close. I groaned; there was probably drool all over these official documents now. I dragged my body up and wiped at my eyes.

"Yeah. Just resting. I told you I haven't been sleeping well lately."

A crease on his forehead formed when he frowned at me. He didn't comment anything else, then went back to clicking away on his laptop. My gaze lingered. With his eyes downcast I could see how long his eyelashes were and gave his eyes a silver shine. It made me want to reach out and touch them.

Instead I yawned, and got up to grab some tea from the break room. Sasuke set his laptop off to the side and followed. I saw a flash of silky blonde hair in front of me. Ino was heading into the break room too. Normally I would smile and call over to her. Instead, I frowned and threw a look behind me at Sasuke. He didn't seem to be paying attention. I could walk past the break room, do a loop, and then go back into the office. But that was ridiculous, Ino was my best friend. There was always an underlying fire in our friendship. A competitive rivalry.

I walked in and went straight for the Keurig off to the side.

"Hi Ino." I said softly. I put the flavor in I wanted and turned around as I waited. Sasuke stood next to me like a faithful body guard.

Ino looked at me, and then her eyes flickered to Sasuke and she smiled. A perfect toothy smile with no lipstick smears on her teeth. I knew that smile, I'd seen it at cute men everywhere we went. I should've done a loop instead of coming in here. Her eyes were half-lidded and she had a very predatory look to her. I shifted so that I was slightly in front of Sasuke, like I was his bodyguard.

"Well hello. And who is this?"  
Ino didn't even look at me as she sauntered over. Even in scrubs you could see her curves, and her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail to pour more attention to her face that was always done perfectly. I huffed. ' _You know exactly who this is, you followed him around since we were freshmen.'_

"It's Sasuke, I've told you about him." I said stiffly. What was she up to?

"But I don't think we've met, and I highly doubt you've told him about me. I'm Ino, Sakura's funner half."

I narrowed my eyes at Ino, but her eyes were glued to Sasuke. She held a delicate hand out to Sasuke. To my horror, he took it gently. An amused smirk crossed his face and it upset my stomach.

"Nice to meet you."

He said as if he was humored by some unknown joke. He was still standing close to me, very close, but it was almost like I didn't exist anymore. Like I was irrelevant. I hated it.

I almost said forget the tea and just stalked out, but that would be ridiculous. It wasn't like Sasuke and I were dating. Hell, he only hung around me because he had to. He had the right to be interested in anyone he wanted. I felt like a spoiled child watching someone else play with a toy that wasn't even mine. I crossed my arms and looked anywhere but Ino's perfect smile.

"So, don't you get bored watching Sakura all the time?"

I was going to kill her. She was doing this on purpose. Making me feel inferior and flirting with him in front of me to see what I would do. I was sick of people trying to judge me off my reactions. I sat there, jaw tight, and stood my ground. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of watching me run away.

"No, I appreciate that she didn't try to get in my pants when I met her."

Ino openly gaped at his statement, and I had the feeling that he meant her. She must've known it too. She bounced back quickly, planting a sickly sweet smile back on her face.

"Well, you are handsome. They probably can't help it."

This was the effect Sasuke had on girls. He'd openly just insulted her with a smirk on his face, and she was still trying to flirt with him.

"Probably."

The Kuerig dinged, signaling that it was finished pouring. I grabbed the cup so fast some of my tea splashed on my sleeve. I sucked it up though, and put the lid on as calmly, holding back a yelp.

"Well, it was nice seeing you, but I've got to get back to work. Talk to ya later." I said, turning quickly. I didn't even bother to look at her.

"See ya. Nice meeting you Sasuke."

I was already walking out the door when she was talking, and I turned to give her a nasty warning look. My jaw dropped; mischief was twinkling in her eyes. And then she stuck her tongue out at me.

 _'_ _That bitch…so she_ was _doing it on purpose!'_

I frowned all the way down the hallway.

"She seemed to like you." I said with a straight face, but inside I was using every cuss word I knew. I bite my lip so I wouldn't say them out loud. I snuck a peek over to gauge his reaction. He shrugged casually.

"Another air head blonde that likes how I look."

He stated it so bluntly, like he was used to it. And he probably was. But it wasn't snide or arrogant. Too bad I didn't take it that way.

I defended her immediately, but I was laughing on the inside. Even if she was an airhead blonde, she was still my best friend.

"Ino's a good person. Just a little boy crazy at times."

He snorted sarcastically.

"Not the type I'd hang around." He commented as we crossed into my office.

' _But definitely the type you'd sleep with.'_ My mind chided, but I didn't dare say it as I sat down and wheeled my chair forward.

"Oh yeah? What type do you hang around?"

"You."  
I blinked, and then I blushed. I turned my head away before he could see.

"Then how come you've never came? To hang around I mean."

"Are you inviting me into your apartment?"

"It's just, uh, it'd be better, don't ya think? To keep an eye on me up close instead of sitting out in your car." Oh goodness, what was I getting myself into? Sure, I felt guilty imagining Sasuke just sitting there in his car. That didn't mean I should invite him to 'hang out'. But what could it hurt? I was already around the guy almost 24/7.

His eyebrow quirked.

"Dually noted."

* * *

It was just the next night when Sasuke was standing at my door, wearing jeans and a Slayer tee, carrying a pack of beer nestled under his arm.

After looking out the eye-hole I immediately straightened myself up, adjusted my shirt and primped my hair to open the door. I opened it a couple inches until I realized something was wrong. Really wrong. I looked down.

 _I wasn't wearing any pants._

I gasped and stuck my head out the door. I hid the bottom half of my body behind it so Sasuke couldn't see. I was such an idiot! Who forgets their not wearing any pants?! Sasuke didn't notice. He wasn't wearing a hat today, and his hair was messy and free. It made me want to run my hands through it. _'No time to be a perv when you have one out for your blood.'_ I smiled at him sweetly.

"Hey there."

He nodded. "Can I come in?"

I panicked. "No!"

Sasuke's eyebrows drew together and the edge of his lip twitched.

"I'm bored." He replied earnestly.

"I'm, uh, not ready." I stuttered out.

I couldn't stop the blush creeping on my face or keep Sasuke from seeing it. Realization lit up his onyx eyes. I looked away. My face burned with embarrassment. Sasuke stuck a hand out to rest on the wall and leaned closer.

"Can I come in anyways?"

My eyes snapped back to his face. He smirked, his lip quirked up with a hint of mischief. His words erased any clever excuse I was going to use. His heavy-lidded eyes had lightened to a milky charcoal. It almost made me forget why I was standing there with my body twisted awkwardly in the first place.

Was it just me, or did that tone seem…flirty?

"um, I don't have any pants on." _'Smooth Sakura, just blurt it out why don't cha!?'_

His smirk widened, and he shrugged.

"I don't mind."

I unconsciously licked my lips.

"I'll just…just give me a minute."

I darted from the door, forgetting that I left it cracked open and unlocked. I whipped out the first thing I could grab, some simple black leggings. I shimmied into them, almost falling once, and then tugged at the bottom of my shirt. It was a long shirt that was white, with red ¾ sleeves. I took a look in the mirror and turned around to make sure most of my butt was covered. It was casual enough, right?

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and walked back out as if I was as cool as an ice cream sandwich. I made sure to close my bedroom door behind me this time. Sasuke had let himself in, and he was standing in the middle of my apartment, taking things in. I coughed nervously.

"W-what are you doing here?" I tried to ask cooly, but I stuttered and totally fucked it up. I didn't know this was what he meant when he said he preferred to hang out with girls like me. That he was actually going to come to _hang out_. He set the beer case on the table and turned back to look at me. I stood there, adjusting my weight from one foot to the other.

He put his hands in his pockets and explained. "It's a working theory, but if I'm right your mystery mailman should be dropping off another envelope tonight. It'll be easier to catch him in the act then having you walk all the way downstairs to get to the cop outside in his car."

Ah. So that's why. I shut the door, peeking around out of paranoia. I fiddled with the hem of my shirt as I faced him.

"Oh, but, then why aren't you in your uniform?"

This felt more like hanging out then being under watch. Not that I'm complaining, I did invite him over technically. It's just that I don't know if I can control myself around him for an extended period of time. Especially when I don't have a uniform in front of me and reminding me to be, erm, professional. Hell, I was still always fucking things up even when he is in his uniform. It was a recipe for disaster, something for my clumsy self to fuck up. Okay, take a deep breath. It's okay, I have Netflix. We don't even have to talk if we just sit there and watch movies.

Wait, does that mean he's staying all night? Oh dear. I mean, I'm not going to offer for him to sleep in bed with me. That'd be ridiculous. But I don't think I can sleep when I know he's only 10 feet away. Not like I've been sleeping anyways. Oh dear. Deep breaths. Deep breaths girl.

He made himself comfortable on my couch and digged in to the beer he brought. It's a huge case, which means he doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon. And it's only 8' o clock at night.

"I'm off duty, technically. I can still make arrests, but this gives me freedom to act accordingly to the circumstances if needed." He retorts. He turns and looks at me with an inquiring brow.

"Are you gonna stand there all night or are you going to join me?" He asks, and while his tone doesn't hint at any mischievous endeavors, there's a twinkle in his eye that makes me weary. I gulp, and hope my unease isn't as noticeable as I feel it is. Just yesterday he was insulting my best friend for being flirty when she first met him, but he was much much worse.

 _'_ _You can do this; Sasuke used to be a friend.'_

But I'd never hung out with him alone before. I called him a friend in extension from Naruto, but we didn't go out of our way to talk to each other, let alone spend time together.

I grabbed the remote and sat at the furthest end of the couch. I sat with my back straight, and I folded my legs under me. I focused on the TV until I got to Netflix.

"Anything you wanna watch?" I asked politely. Sasuke was relaxed, lounging on the couch and the arm holding his beer resting on the armchair. He tilted his head towards me lazily.

"It's your place, your pick."

I never thought picking something to watch could be so nerve wrenching. As if picking a movie or TV series would bear my soul and leave me vulnerable. He'd know I liked watching dumb TV shows, that I binge watched Bob's burgers and enjoyed paranormal investigative series. But I also loved action and superheroe movies, so I searched through until I found Captain America. Perfect. Something we could both like.

"You're not in to chick flicks?" he asked, a little surprised. So he expected me to pick something like the Notebook, huh?  
"I don't like sappy romance." I commented. It wasn't exactly a lie. I was just picky. I liked Grease like every other girl, but very seldom did I like any others. I wasn't going to tell him that though, especially after I felt like I just impressed him.

"Awesome."

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as I laughed. He smirked back at me, and adjusted his legs wider. He noticed me move away slightly.

"I don't bite, you know."

I went rigid, but I was able to give him a teasing response.

"But you do have a gun."  
He laughed, full and loud. It was like music to my ears. It made me smile dumbly, because I had no clue why I was smiling. He sat up, reached into his belt, and pulled out a pistol. It shocked me until he set it on the end table, off to the side.

"Okay, it's a fair fight now."

My arms tucked to my side, spread out, and I scooted closer. Just enough to have comfortable space between us still.

"What? Is it too hard to watch me allll the way from the end of the couch?" I teased, and I saw the glint again. The sparkle of mischief.

"Maybe I just like being in your company."

I felt my heart surge at his words and swell with warmth. Since when was Sasuke so…nice? The way he'd talked to Ino, that's how I remember him flirting with other girls. But this, this reminded me of that night…the night he'd had a soft look in his eyes and set my body on fire. My temperature was rising just thinking about it.

"Oh."

 _'Wow. I'm such an idiot.'_

He didn't say anything back as he turned his attention to the screen. I did the same, still sitting in the middle of the couch with my back straight as a board and my hands folded in my lap. After 20 minutes my back was hurting from being so rigid, and I felt utterly ridiculous, like I tended to be around Sasuke. There was no reason to be. He was relaxed and he was in a weird girls apartment watching TV with her. He was the one that should be uncomfortable. He oozed nonchalance and comfort. I'd been forcing it, I realized, making myself guarded around him. And I was tired of it.

 _'But…I have to…'_

I didn't have to sit so awkwardly though.

I sank back and brought my legs up to cross them indian style. Much better. Sasuke adjusted too. He shifted the center of his body over so he wasn't leaning on the arm of the couch anymore. His stretched out arm on the back of my couch was close enough to touch the back of my head. A chill ran up my spine and the hair on the back of my neck stood, but I sat there frozen in comfort and paranoia.

How was it that his aura was so soothing but his touch sent me reeling? Maybe it was just me and my lack of confidence. Or experience with guys.

"It's over."

I blinked. The credits were rolling already, I'd missed the whole ending cause I'd been lost in my thoughts. Damn. Captain America was my favorite superheroes in the marvel universe (Batman always held my heart for the DC universe). It also meant that I had to go through trying to pick something else. I looked over at Sasuke, who'd gone through a couple of cans already. I reached out and set the remote on his leg.

"Your turn."

He didn't fight me on it. "Alright."

He picked up the remote and flicked through most of the genres, some made me embarrassed since Netflix adjusted to what you preferred. He didn't comment on them though, and soon enough we were watching an old action movie with Kurt Russel in it. I'd never seen it, but I was more than happy to watch.

Halfway through the movie the hair on my neck stood up again. I could feel Sasuke's fingers moving near my head. Then there was the lightest touch, and movement on my hair. His arm was stretched out on the top of the couch around my head. I was internally freaking out.

What was he _doing_?

I kept my head forward and tried to glance at him from my peripherals. He was still watching TV like nothing was wrong. But there was; his hand was planted on the back of my neck and it was giving me a funny feeling in my stomach. He had to know where his hand was. Is he just messing with me?

 _'I'm still the inexperienced little twerp I was back in high school!'_

No! I was a woman now dammit!

I snuck a look at him again, and this time I caught his gaze on me. Shocked, I snapped my eyes back to the screen. And then I felt the cushion beside me shifting again-

Knock Knock

It sounded so quiet at first that I almost missed it. And then they were painfully loud, reverberating through my skull. It struck fear through me, and I tore myself away.

Sasuke was already moving, quicker than I was. He swiped his gun and jumped over the couch, the force causing it to rock. I gasped and followed him, but hid behind the wall as he tossed the door wide open. There was a man there, still crouching and wide-eyed. He was petrified being caught in the act.

"Stay right where you are!"

Sasuke commanded, but the man darted off before he could finish. Sasuke was out the door and after him in a flash.

* * *

 **oooohhhhhh caught in the act? Who is this strange man? And what was Sasuke doing before hand?**

 **Find out next time!**


	8. Yoga Fingers

**I know I know, I'm running late on my updates! I apologize. The whole internet thing, busy thing, and trying to make sure everything looks right type of deal. I currently have this and the next chapter for rocket queen, and I just need to finish typing the next chap. of Hydrangea.**

 **Thanks for being so patient!**

 **Chapter 7: Yoga Fingers**

* * *

I didn't even shut the door as I raced out after both of them and nicked my toe on a box sitting on the ground. I paused to look at it, it must've been what the stranger dropped off, then frantically watched the scene unfolding. The man was small and quick, but Sasuke was quicker. He easily gained ground on the man. He didn't even draw his gun. He didn't have to, the man he was chasing wouldn't be running off like a scared deer if he had a weapon on him. Then he was tackling the yelping man to the ground in a big heap. I bounded down the hallway after them. Sasuke had it under control, but curiosity told me I should follow. I needed to know what this man looked like.

Sasuke didn't bother to handcuff him, he turned the smaller man around and fisted the front of his shirt.

"Who are you?"

His tone was icy cold, but his glare was burning. He was furious, his face turning animal like. The bald man under him sputtered and tried to shrink away, but Sasuke had a tight hold on him. Stranger wasn't going to get away any time soon. He looked to be in his late twenties, around Sasuke's age, but in this moment he looked like a scared child in front of the boogeyman. _'good.'_ I thought angrily. This man had me terrified in my own home, he deserved this. However, a small voice in the back of my mind, the compassionate one, pitied him a little. Hell hath no fury like an Uchiha's.

The stranger was tearing up now, his breath coming out in desperate sobs.

"Don't you understand I had no choice?!" He screamed. Then I saw him reach for his pocket. I gasped.

"Sasuke!"

He had noticed though, he backed off and reached into his holster. Sasuke aimed the pistol straight at his bald head.

"Freeze!"

The man paid no heed. Tears were rolling down his face as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. His fist was clenched, but there was no gun. Just a fist. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and creased his brow. What did he have in his hand? I watched from a few feet away as he slowly opened his fist, and revealed a single white pill.

Then I knew what he was going to do.

I rushed forward, but it was too late. The man popped the pill into his mouth, and almost instantly his mouth was fizzing.

"Shit."

Sasuke cursed, and put his gun away. He was padding around his jeans, and then he pulled out his cell. I crept closer, but Sasuke stuck his hand out to bat me away. He didn't want me getting too close, but I was already watching what was happening. I watched a man die right in front of me, coughing for his last breaths.

"All hail…Jash..in.."

My hands flew to my gapping mouth.

* * *

The blue uniforms were becoming too familiar to me now. It'd only taken a handful of officers about five minutes to get here, probably because they knew the route now. They'd already covered the body and rushed me off out of the crime scene. I wasn't the only bystander anymore, and they were herding everyone on my floor who'd come to see the commotion back into their apartments. I crept back in my room, and only with the door closed and safe in my privacy did I break down.

Seeing that man commit suicide, in the name of _Jashin_ , made everything seem so real and personal. The dead body I'd seen earlier in the week felt like a nightmare, a terrible dream, but reality smacked me in the face. I slid down the door and put my face in my hands, trying to control my breathing. My legs feel out from under me, and I kicked something. I moved my hands from my face.

It was the box the man set at my door. The man that was now dead.

' _I should leave it. It's evidence and I don't want to know what's inside.'_

But I was reaching for it. My body acted on its own. I slid it right in front of me and examined it. It was a plain white box, but it had a red ribbon on top and a tab hanging off. I ripped the tab off, and read it before I could stop myself.

 _I told you I'd give you a present. Too bad the cops took the rest away._

 _-XOXO_

I dropped the tab and watched it flap to the floor. Did I even want to know what that note meant? I stared at the box, right at the top of the crimson bow, until my sight became blurry. Then I took a deep breath. With slow fingers, I took the bow off and gripped the edges. Then with a quick jerk, I popped it open. White package peanuts fell everywhere. Then, nothing. ' _What the fuck? Is it empty?_ ' I cautiously dug through it, looking for anything.

My finger rubbed against something cold and hard.

I moved some more peanuts away, and then I could see what my finger had rubbed against.

I screamed bloody murder.

* * *

There was a violent bang on the door, and I scrambled away. I had to put distance between me and that… _thing_. I'd left the door unlocked, so I sat in the corner and waited for the cops to march in.

Sasuke was first to bust through the door, and he almost knocked over the box trying to get to me. He scrunched his nose and gave it a 'what the fuck?' look, but didn't give it a second thought. He kneeled down in front of me and grabbed my shoulders gently.

"What is it? What's wrong?"  
I couldn't form the words so I pointed. Sasuke looked over at his shoulder, where another cop was inspecting the box contents. The young cop reeled back, thrusting an arm out in the air to block his sight from the object.

A finger was sticking out. The skin had a blue tint and surprisingly free of tears and wrinkles. Frozen to be preserved. And _they_ just sent it to me all wrapped up with a bow. I wanted to vomit. I _touched_ it; I touched some dead girl's dismembered finger. My eyebrows flew up and my eyes went wide as saucers. Oh my god, I knew she'd been missing her ring finger. I'd seen it, and now here it was. This manicured purple nail had the same pattern.

And it had a ring on it. It was the ring finger on the left hand after all.

"What the fuck?"

Sasuke breathed out as he inspected it. Then he was barking out demands to his fellow policemen. The guy that'd found it bagged it up with latex covered hands. A policewoman came in and sat next to me. She asked me questions quietly, and I answered absentmindedly in short spurts. I answered them as calmly as I could, but my eyes were still wide and stuck on the box. Sasuke's forehead was filled with worried lines and his mouth tugged down so hard I thought it might fall off. His jaw was clenched, making his prominent cheekbones stand out at an awkward angle.

Was he upset that I'd found that, or upset that he'd let his only suspect die? And to think, just twenty minutes ago he'd given me such a soft look…

I groaned. Everything was getting more complicated by the minute.

* * *

Sasuke had been following me around for some time, but now it felt so much closer. A constant reminder of his fingers in my hair. And then the thought was soiled with the bald man's wide, lifeless eyes. It felt so intimate sitting in my office with him, and it made the room feel so small. I snuck a look at him every five minutes, sometimes because I thought I felt his gaze on me, but he still looked oblivious and aloof. He didn't even acknowledge the situation on the couch, maybe it was because there wasn't one. It wasn't like we'd kissed, and I didn't know if I wanted it to happen or not.

' _What's holding you back?'_

A haunting voice whispered, but I shoved it so far back that I felt it bang against my occipital lobe. My nose crinkled in the slightest. Things were so much better when they were boring, and not when I had a maniac after me and Sasuke screwing with my mind. It made me wonder if I imagined it all; his fingers twirling my hair and the look he was giving me. It was the same look he'd given me years ago, seeing me in the skimpy red dress.

Perhaps I was hallucinating.

I needed to go on a walk, the room was stuffy and suffocating. I got up from my swivel chair and Sasuke moved to follow me, but I stopped him.

"I'll be fine in the hospital Sasuke, I just wanna make a round and, no offense, having an officer in the room scares the patients."

He gave me a weird look, narrowing his eyes to study my motives. It was the first time I'd told him to leave me alone. Maybe I said it harsher than I meant to be, I was just stressed. He took one look at the purple marks under my eyes and softened his gaze. But he was still hesitant. I decided to sweeten the deal.

"I'll get you a cup of coffee though, if you want. And I'll sneak you a muffin."

"I don't like sweets."

"But you like those blueberry muffins the bakery makes. I'll get you one."

He went quiet, contemplated, and then nodded. I gave him a tired smile and walked out. My lungs rejoiced as if I was breathing pure oxygen. Being in Sasuke's presence was glorious and torture at the same time. _'Maybe I should just give myself up to Hidan, cause his torture can't be as bad as this.'_ I knew that was a terrible thing to wish for, and I hated myself for it.

"Sakura!" I'd just swiped the muffin on the second floor, the floor Ino worked on, so I knew there was a chance of seeing her. She looked perfect as always, with her sleek hair pulled back and her black eyeliner making her blue eyes pop. Remembering how beautiful she was made my frown pull down farther. I turned around without greeting her.

"Hey! You're not still mad at me are you? I'm sorry, I was just messing around. You know I'd never go after a guy you're interested in."

"I'm not interested in him."

She quirked an eyebrow at me in disbelief, but she didn't verbalize her suspicions.

"I'll make it up to you. You've been stressed lately right? You think you can break out to come over later and try out some yoga? I've already got the mats."

I sighed. There was no reason to be mad at her, if anything I was being too sensitive and I knew it. Ino had always been by my side and she was a good friend to me. She was right, I should be finding ways to relieve my stress instead of letting it build up like this. I agreed with a small but tired smile. She narrowed her eyes at me, suspicious of my smile, but she kept it in. Ino tried to make things better, that's why she was willing to try out yoga, but I knew it was also a trap. For her to corner me on everything bothering me.

' _Stop being such a bitch. She's trying to help.'_

I reminded myself, but I was already in a bad mood. Like a snake rattling its tail, telling an approaching intruder to go away, but they just kept coming. I told her I'd text her when I was off and ready. She have me a determined nod, and returned to checking on her patients. Fury flow over me suddenly, and I wanted to through this stupid blueberry muffin at the wall and watch it splatter. And then I felt back, extremely bad, for even thinking like this.

Maybe it was my time of the month, because I was having serious mood swings.

Every day I looked forward to getting off work and relaxing at home. Today was different. This whole week had been different, and for the life of me I couldn't even admit _why_. I did need yoga in my life.

* * *

" _There you are!" I groaned as hand clasped around my shoulder._

 _I was hoping Ino was too drunk by now to notice my disappearance. Usually her low tolerance was a sure thing._

" _What are you doing out here?" She slurred, barely hanging on to her question. Even if Ino was still slurring, she'd sobered up a bit from when I'd last seen her._

 _I frowned. "partying-"_

" _Your hiding!" She accused._

" _I am not." I defended, glancing away quickly._

" _Yes you are, you bolted as soon as you saw Sasuke was giving you eyes."_

 _I tried to scoff, as if it was ridiculous of her to think so, but something caught in my throat and I ended up coughing instead._

" _I don't know what your talking about." I replied innocently, taking a casual sip from my can._

 _I knew that she'd seen, hell I'd ran past her. Ino hadn't seen him kiss me though. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the grass._

" _You can't run every time a hot guy looks your way. So what if you're a little insecure because of that you know whom douchebag. Your Sakura frickin Haruno! And there are much hotter, better guys here want to get to knowww youuuu." She sang the last part, creeping her manicured nail up my arm. I laughed._

" _I know, thank you Ino."_

" _Now come on! I got this super-hot brunette who thinks it's totally cool your going to run track in college. I think he's been staring at your ass all night."_

" _Yeah sure, I'll be right behind you."_

 _Ino fluttered off without looking back, and I sighed and leaned back against the tree. I was safe again…for now._

 _I wasn't exactly hiding. I didn't want to meet anymore 'super-hot' guys. I'd just come out here and stayed in the same spot, watching the fire from a distance. Seeing everyone fall victim to their drinks and do silly things or start silly fights. Everyone but one specific man…._

 _I couldn't show my face again after that. So, I'd have my own little people watching party out here until it was time to go. Away from Sasuke, Ino, and Naruto. But I didn't want to leave yet, I was having somewhat of an exciting and fun time. Even if I was watching other people's shenanigans._

* * *

Count to five, deep breath. In….Out….In…. another breath. Eyes closed, forehead relaxed. Push my chest up, count to five again. Breathe out. Stretch forward, passed my folded legs. Feel the tug on my lower back.

Relax….

"Ugh!" My eyes snapped open and my forehead creased. Ino opened her eyes and looked over sharply, not happy that her concentration broke. She leaned up and turned her shoulders to me.

"I don't know if anyone told you Sakura, but yoga is supposed to be _relaxing_." She said, emphasizing the last word.

"I know Ino." I groaned. She faced forward and fell back into position. I closed my eyes again and tried to follow her example. It's not just about relaxing your body, it's about relaxing your mind. That's the whole point of why I'm trying it in the first place. I timed my breaths slowly. The best way to ease the mind is to erase it. Get rid of all thoughts, until nothing is left floating around.

I leaned down, and took a deep breath in.

1….2….3…

"Fuck." I whispered, and my eyes snapped open again. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Ino got up, frowned, and paused the yoga video we snagged off youtube.

"Okay, what's wrong with you? Spill." She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. I've been so on edge lately. I'm practically bursting at the seams.

To my surprise she says nothing more. She's actually waiting for me to answer her. I sighed again, giving in. I drew my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. "I just can't focus. My mind is so hectic right now. I thought yoga is supposed to fix that."

"It only works if you let it work, young grasshopper." She replied, crossing her legs and grabbing her ankles. "It's not magic."

"I really need some magic right now though."

"I haven't failed to notice that you haven't actually told me the cause of your distress, but I have a feeling if I name off things it's only gonna piss you off." She exclaimed, and she's quite right. I've had a shorter fuse with everybody as of late. I look away guiltily. That's not normally how I am at all.

I found a body, just lying there in an alley. It had already turned a sickly blue and the muscles had already passed rigor mortis, like it'd been waiting for me for some time. And it was for me, that creepy note confirmed it. Now I was on the radar of some crazed man, not only part Akatsuki, but a cult that glorifies killing people as sacrifices.

The thing that made me feel guilty wasn't all that though. It was the fact that I was more worried about Sasuke. That all I thought about was Sasuke. You'd think with my situation I'd be worried about more important things, but my thoughts remained superficial and solely on him.

"It just, it bothers me." I told her, though I didn't fully meet her gaze. She leaned down to try and catch my downcast gaze.

"The whole murder thing? That'd freak anybody out. But you don't have to worry, the police are working on it and they're protecting you. That guy won't be able to come within 100 feet of you." Ino promises, trying to make me feel better. But it doesn't. She doesn't understand what's really bothering me.

"No, it's not that. It's…Sasuke." I admit.

Her eyebrows shot up.

"What about him?"

"I just…all of these scary things are going on that I should be worried about, and you know what's really bugging me? The fact that he doesn't seem to remember me, at all. That he has this power over my body, my mind, my actions. I see a dead body, and the thing that's fucking me up is a guy! How shallow is that?"

"Well, we kinda figured that anyways. Sasuke wasn't exactly pegged as a virtuous guy back then, there's probably a lot of girls he slept with that he doesn't remember."

"It's not just that though. We went to high school together. We were _friends_. He doesn't even remember ever knowing me. What kind of friend does that? I know we weren't close, but…"

"You thought you'd mean _something_ to him." She finished and gave me an understanding nod. She crossed her arms and tapped a finger to her lips in thought. No doubt she's trying to figure a way to make me feel better, but this feeling has been sinking into my skin for days.

"You think maybe he does remember you, he's just scared to say something?" She pondered. I snorted and shook my head.

"Sasuke Uchiha scared? Doesn't seem likely." I retorted.

"Hear me out on this; maybe he does remember you, from high school and everything. He just doesn't know what to say. Maybe he's nervous."

We stare at each other for moment in silence, thinking it over.

"Nah, Sasuke has always been blunt." I reason.

"Then ask him. I'm sure he'll answer truthfully." Ino suggested.

"I cant just _ask_ him, Ino." I huffed.

"Why not, didn't you say he'd be blunt about it?" She asked, confused.

"But I'm not, and I don't know what he'll do if I'm just like 'hey, we were friends in high school and then we slept together at a party, you remember that?' What if he really doesn't remember, and once he does he starts acting odd?"

"What if he hasn't brought it up cause he thought you'd be the one to act weird."

"Touche, Ino. But I don't think I have the balls to ask him straight up."

"Maybe it's a good thing. He's older now, he sees you as a woman now. If you started dating and knew you'd already slept together before, it'd be pretty weird I guess-"

"I don't want to _date_ him. I just want to know if he remembers and go away."

"That doesn't make any sense. You like him, and the past is the past. It shouldn't matter anymore."

"I don't like him."

"Yes. You do, it's obvious billboard brow."

"I don't!"

"Whatever, live in your delusions. I'm only trying to help."

I took a deep breath.

"I know, I know. I'm trying to cope with _a lot_ of things. I don't have time for all this." I told her.

"Sakura, no offense, but you never have time. You barely give any guy a chance. Maybe it's time you start."

* * *

" _So that meant you couldn't handle it then?" I almost screamed bloody murder as a black figure appeared next to me, but I quickly noticed it was my guy who'd snatched a kiss earlier. These people needed to stop sneaking up on me, dammit!_

" _What?" I blurted out. My back was up against the tree as he stood in front of me now, the fire illuminating a soft glow on his handsome features. It was hypnotizing._

 _"The fire. I don't think I've seen a woman run away from me that fast."_

" _Well, I do run track." I joked. He cracked a small grin, but his onyx eyes were intense and focused._

" _I don't usually have to chase after girls." He said seriously. He wasn't saying it to sound haughty and egotistic. He was stating fact. I didn't know what to say back, so I said nothing. With my back up against the tree I was trapped with nowhere to go. No escape routes. Sasuke was looking around too, noticing how far we were from everyone else._

" _So this is where you went?" He asked casually. He leaned a hand up against the tree just above my head. It pulled him closer._

" _Oh! Um, yeah. Sorry."_

" _I don't take rejection very well."_

" _I wasn't- that wasn't what I was doing. I just, ah, I'm not…used to this."_

 _I point a quick finger between us._

 _Sasuke's eyes soften. He closes them and runs his hand through his hair. He backed off from the tree and gave me space._

" _I get it. The bad boy reputation precedes me." He had such a tired look in his eye as he said it. Exasperated even._

 _I frown. I know Sasuke has a reputation, and there are times were I've considered it, but that's all. There's no more grounds than a superficial layer. I felt anger boil up, because that thinking was shallow. Did he really think I was that stupid?_

" _I don't think you're a bad guy."_

" _Why?"  
"You don't trick anyone to sleep with you. You tell it like it is. You don't abuse anyone, hurt a girl's confidence to make her like you. But if someone's being a bitch you have no problem saying it. You don't promise them the world or that you'll love them forever. You don't steal your friend's girls, and I can tell you really value your friends, insults aside. You don't pretend to be anything that you aren't, and you accept the consequences of that. The tile of 'bad boy', dictated by peers who are jealous or upset that they couldn't trick you into being with them. I think that makes you something more. Like, deep down, that makes you not just a nice person. But a good man."_

" _You really think of me like that?" He breathed out._

 _I nodded my head._

" _Well yeah, I wouldn't be out here with you, like this, if I didn't think so."_

" _You ran before."_

" _Well, I've got nowhere to go now."_

 _He reached out, grabbing a lock of my pink hair and gliding his fingers down. He followed it all the way down, just past the dip of my breast. I got goosebumps on my arms. He moved him arm out and down to rest at my hip and leaned it again._

" _I guess that makes you my prisoner then." He whispered hotly._

 _Eyes wide, I just nodded. The air was so hot between us I could feel the steam clinging to my skin. He was so close again, just a nose length away. I was mustering my courage, bit by bit. I wasn't sure what I wanted, what was going on between us. But I knew I liked it, and that I wanted him._

" _I…" I breathed, "I think I need that drink first, if your offer still stands."_

" _It can wait, can't it?" He whispered, closing the distance._

 _I couldn't tear my eyes away from his lips. "Yeah…"_

 _I reached out as his lips touched mine, and gently pulled his face closer. I wasn't going to run away this time, I was going to accept it with open arms. Ino was right; I shouldn't be hiding from this, I should be going after it._

* * *

 _**Done! Let me know what you think!**_


	9. Letting Go

**Hello all! Here is an exciting chapter to keep you all sated. Also, I realized I miscounted the number of chapters I released in April. I apologize, but I was also worried that I was in such a rush to get them out that the quality was starting to slip. Also, I'm going back through Hydrangea and checking to make sure things are in order and that events are going to add up so I'm not just going by chapter to chapter. I'm trying to figure out a synopsis for it. So it might take a little longer, but not much. Thank you all for being so patient! R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. The story line is an original.**

 **Chapter 8: Letting Go**

* * *

I sighed in bliss when I walked into my office and found a stack of documents waiting for me. Paperwork seemed like a blessing these days; it kept me too busy to think. I sat down, feeling relaxed for the first time this week. Maybe yoga had done the trick, the stress I'd been harboring slowly started to seep out of my bones. Talking to someone about it helped too. Triple locking my front door didn't hurt either. I made sure to keep myself busy, keep my thoughts somewhere else, but when I got home things changed.

I'd become obsessed with doing my own research.

I needed to know why this guy was after me. Not only did he stalk me, but he had his lackies sending me body parts. The man Sasuke caught whispered _'hail jashin'_ , the god that Hidan worshipped. That wasn't a coincidence. So I searched, surfing the internet for any answers I could find. I even returned to the occult page with creepy mantras to see if he was following some ritual.

I didn't want to understand the religion; just Hidan's intentions. But it was impossible to understand one without the other, they went hand in hand. Unfortunately, the only thing I'd found out was that he had plans for me, plans to make me one of 'theirs'. But I wouldn't fall so easily.

I didn't know if the cops already knew; they weren't telling me anything. They didn't want to scare me. But I was already scared. I became so frightened that I thirsted for the knowledge to protect myself. I didn't doubt Sasuke, I trusted him, but I couldn't stand back as he risked his life for mine. His job was protecting people, but mine was saving them.

I glanced up from my paperwork to steal a glimpse of the handsome cop lounging in the corner of my office. He sat there quietly, like he did every day. Most days he was either reading or typing away on his laptop. He preferred to revel in the silence, but sometimes we held light and teasing conversations. It was easier to be around him now. I felt more comfortable. Sasuke's eyes flicked up at mine, and I darted them away and glued them back onto my paperwork. I hoped he hadn't caught me staring.

I dug my nose into my work, so far that I didn't notice Sasuke leave until I looked up again to find him gone. I frowned at his empty seat. Sasuke never left; it made me often wonder when he went to the bathroom.

I sighed and looked up at my clock on the wall; I still had thirty minutes before I had to see any patients, I could easily get through the rest of my paperwork before then. Instead, I took a break, leaning back in my swivel chair and closing my eyes. I focused on relaxing.

It took an effort just to relax since I'd been so keyed up lately. I needed more yoga in my life.

I heard a small clunk, like a plastic cup being set on my desk. Thrown out of my thoughts, my eyes snapped open to find Sasuke in front of me, setting a cup with a lid on my desk. He said nothing as he sat back down in 'his' seat, and began sipping on his own cup. He started writing something down as if he'd never left.

I stared at the cup suspiciously.

"What's this?" I asked, reaching out to the cup gingerly.

"Tea." He stated nonchalantly. He stopped writing and put his onyx eyes on me. "That's right, isn't it? You like Chai tea?" He asked.

My eyes lit up at his thoughtfulness.

"Yes, thank you." I replied, bringing the cup to my lips. I blew on it lightly, then stuck my tongue out to check the temperature. When I was sure it wouldn't burn my throat, I placed my lips on the seal and took a sip. I gave Sasuke an appreciative smile, and realized that his eyes were locked on me, stuck in a daze.

"What?" I asked innocently. Did he think I was weird for tasting it with my tongue first? I didn't want to burn my mouth.

"Nothing." He replied quietly, and went back to writing whatever. My eyebrow popped up in question, but I chose to leave him alone. Sasuke could think I was weird all he wanted; he was weird too.

* * *

The day was joyfully uneventful. I did my paperwork, walked my rounds, and checked on patients with Sasuke in tow. Was it strange to say that I didn't mind him hovering like I used to? I shook my head. There was no reason to get used to his presence, he'd be gone as soon as the case was done. An involuntary frown graced my features as I locked my office. ' _It's all temporary.'_ I reminded myself.

So I did something unexpected; I offered to make Sasuke dinner.

Who knew how many meals Sasuke missed watching over me? I wanted to do _something_ for him since he'd done so much to help me. It wasn't like I asked him out on a date; he'd already be in my apartment. Although it should be considered official business, he came to hang out in my apartment regularly now. Maybe that's why I felt more comfortable with him; I could feel a small flame, the rekindling of our old friendship surfacing. A lot of old feelings were coming back up.

"What do you like to eat?" I asked him as we walked through my door. I triple locked the door, and went straight for the kitchen as he made for his usual spot on the couch.

"Anything, I'm not picky." He replied, remote in hand.

"Good, because unfortunately my cooking skills aren't much better than cereal and mac and cheese." I admitted, looking through the cupboards for anything easy to make. I smiled when I heard a snicker from the living room. I pulled out some noodles, then searched for any tomato sauce. Spaghetti should be easy to make right? All I had to do was boil some noodles, cook the hamburger, and pour sauce on top.

The pot was filled with water and put on the stove to boil. I got all the ingredients out, taking a second to check on Sasuke. His attentions was solely on the TV. I had a good view of his profile, scanning over his sharp nose, long eyelashes, and proud lips. My gaze lingered…

I took a sharp intake of breath, and turned away. I needed some cheese to grate on top if he wanted some. Thank goodness I had mozzarella, but where was my cheese grater? I reached over the fridge and opened the doors. No cheese grater, but there was some left over booze from the last time Ino came to hang. Ino's words rang loud and clear in my head. _'You like him.' '_ _You barely give any guy a chance. Maybe it's time you start.'_

I swiped the bottle of vodka in the blink of an eye. I took a swig without a second thought. Perhaps I needed some liquid courage right now. I let out a breath, finally finding the cheese grater, and turned the stove up. I took another swig, and hid the bottle next to the fridge before taking a spot on the couch. My fingers twitched for laptop. I'd been close to a break through yesterday, I'd found a ritual called _"Maidens of Jashin"_ that required the giving of a ring. One with a lapis lazuli stone and carvings on the side. One that the police confiscated with the disembodied finger sent to my doorstep.

I turned the laptop on and angled it away from Sasuke's peripherals. I didn't want him to know I was doing my own research, he might think I doubt his abilities.

"What are you always doing on there?" Sasuke asked. I tore my eyes from the screen to find Sasuke peering at me curiously.

"Being nosy Sasuke?" I countered teasingly, pulling my eyes away for a second to hide my browser. His brow went up, and a smirk graced his face.

"You know it's my job to be nosy, Sa-ku-ra."

Sasuke leaned towards me, trying to get a peek, but I backed away. I pulled my laptop, one that had an unhealthy amount of searches about one criminal, away from his reach. His efforts only grew bolder as he scooted closer, determined to find out what was on the screen. I squeaked as he came after me. His arms caught me around the waist as I tried to get up, and he pulled me down closer.

"I should check if the water is boiling-" I started, trying to find any excuse.

"Tell me what you're trying to hide, and then I'll let go." He countered. A blush creeped up at being in such close proximity to Sasuke. I was more comfortable around him, yes, but there was distance. A bubble holding him at arm's length that he just popped. I could feel his heat against my back and his breath on my ear as I attempted to lean away. Closing my eyes, I resisted a shiver threatening to run down my spine.

"N-nothing." I croaked.

Sasuke chuckled. He took one hand off my stomach to reach for the lap top again.

"That wasn't very convincing. Are you watching porn? I didn't think you were that type of woman." He bemused. My ears burned scarlet. I wriggled in his grasp.

"No!" I squealed.

"Can we watch together?" He teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

"N-no! I'm not watching porn!" I clarified hurriedly.

He sighed, and released me from his grasp. My body automatically missed his warmth, but I felt like I could think again. However I stayed seated there, still so close. I twirled a piece of rose locks and I shyly looked away.

"I just," I tucked the strand behind my ear, "I like to do my own research of some things, that's all."

He frowned at me, wanting me to elaborate, but I head a sizzling noise coming from the kitchen. I shot up from my seat and hurried to the kitchen, leaving my forgotten laptop sitting on the end table farthest from Sasuke. I salvaged the over-boiled pot and let out relieved sigh. I peered over at Sasuke, staring at the screen again, and took a long swig of my hidden booze. I grimaced at the taste, but I could already feel the effects kicking in.

' _What are you so afraid of?'_

* * *

" _Are you on birth control?" He whispered hotly against my cheek, warm breath tickling my eyelashes. His words were almost enough to make my heart explode out of my chest. I freeze, but managed to choke out a 'no'._

 _He pulls off me a second later, and suddenly I feel cold and disappointed. Then I panic; did he change his mind because I said no?! But when my ears pick up the rustling of a wrapper, I know what he's doing. He's putting a condom on. A second wave of realization comes over me, and my heart's thumping so fast I wonder if I'm having a heart attack. I don't have any time to prepare myself, I blink and he's back on top. His rough hand gently grabs on to my legs. Anxious nerves are shooting through my body and I have no idea how to stop it. My legs start to shake in anticipation._

 _He grips my shaking thighs and gives them a light squeeze. He must've noticed that I'm freaking out because the rough pads of his palms are smoothing against my outer thighs in small circles to comfort me. He's practically telling me, relax, but when I look into his eyes I see a glimmer of amusement and something else I can't make out in my hazy thoughts._

 _He catches me off guard when he lets out a chuckle and leans down to kiss the inside of my knee._

" _Cute," He mutters. The word sounds foreign against his tongue and the deep baritone of his voice. The phrase sends a hum to my lower belly, pressure building up between my legs. They instinctively draw together with want, trying to relieve the pressure, but he nudges them apart with ease. Just enough to where he can nestle himself in between._

 _He's looking down at me, and the whole intimacy of the situation begins to be too much. I turn away, cheeks burning. This isn't supposed to be an act of love but one of lust, what am I supposed to do in this situation? Eye connection means so much more than what we're doing.._

 _I almost curse and groan at the same time as I realize that turning my head has only been successful in giving me a full view of what's about to happen, because there's a_ mirror _on the wall, reflecting_ everything _. My legs are blocking our hips, but I can see the taught muscles of his shoulder, and the dimpling of his, erm, cheeks. But if I look up, I risk getting trapped into the intensity of his eyes._

 _I feel a hand caress my cheekbone, and then moves to smooth my hair back leaving my large forehead bare. I can feel him moving on top, descending, and at the last second I break and look into his eyes. There's a softness to them. He's focused on going easy on me. The kind look in his eyes finally gets me to relax. He pushes against me, and my eyes close, finally succumbing fully._

 _It was raining the next morning. I sat there, in the rain, leaning against the bench and looking to the sky. It wasn't a heavy rain, just enough to drip down my face and conceal my tears. I sat there, alone, on a bench only a couple blocks away from Sasuke's house waiting for the next bus. Just like the rain, I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down._

 _What had I done?_

 _I'd given myself to someone so freely, wasn't it supposed to feel 'freeing'? Why did I feel so torn? So heartbroken._

 _I sobbed. I already knew the answer._

* * *

 _I didn't go home, not at first. I road the bus to Ino's._

 _Ino only looked at me with worried eyes as I told her what happened._

" _I don't get what the big deal is Sakura-"_

" _Because it's not Sasuke's fault I caught feelings for him! I thought I was different from all those girls that chased after him, and I turned into one and it won't go away. When I woke up I realized not only my feelings, but that they wouldn't be returned. So I bolted."_

" _So, feelings caught up to ya?" Ino asked, plopping down on the chair beside me._

 _I nodded sadly. Ino rubbed circles on my back, trying to sooth the turmoil in my heart. I'd been unable to keep my heart guarded, but there was no reason to involve Sasuke. I wouldn't tell him about my feelings. If I forgot about him, maybe they'd fizzle out completely._

* * *

" _You like him."_

I put all my focus into cooking. We ate dinner quietly, my ears still tipped red.

Why was I still thinking about back then? Reminding myself why I couldn't like Sasuke? Why I couldn't fall for him, _again_?

But, was it possible to _stop_ it?

As I sat there, body buzzing, I thought that maybe Ino was right. A second chance, she'd said…

I sighed; that would require my feelings to be _reciprocated_. And Sasuke...Sasuke didn't do feelings.

Not wanting to ruin the night, I attempted to wash all my worries away and let things take their course, whatever they would be. I collected our plates and went off to put them in the sink. "Do you want another drink?" I asked politely, not noticing him following.

"I can get it," His voice called behind me. I simply nodded, knowing it was better not to argue. I reached into the cupboard to grab a cup for water as he fished through the fridge next to me. I heard him close the fridge, and I spun to head for the sink. My butt hit the counter when I turned around to find Sasuke in front of me. He had a beer in his hand on the counter next to me, and his other hand was still on the fridge door. He'd effectively trapped me, again.

I couldn't speak as I looked up at him, into his eyes. There was something mischievous there, in his ebony eyes. A hidden intent. My eyes flickered to his lips, and then back up. He gaze was steady on mine. His hand came up and rested against the cupboard next to my ear. The back of my head lightly thudded against the wood as he leaned in. Sasuke's eyes glued me to the spot.

I let out a shaky breath, intermingling with his.

His eyes slowly closed, and mine fluttered shut in anticipation.

I felt it, the lightest touch against my lips. Then, he pressed his mouth against mine. It was like the touch of heaven, descending down on me. My hands clutched at the edge of the counter, and I tilted my head better to taste his lips fully. He pushed against them firmly, pressing my head into the cupboard door harder. At the moment I didn't even feel it as he drank me in.

An internal battle raged inside me on whether to pull him closer, or push him away. What did I want? I wanted...I wanted him. I wanted to feel what he'd made me feel in one night, that no one else ever had.

He broke the kiss. One of my hands rose up to grab his shirt, to keep him close. He saw my hand, what I wanted, and closed the distance again. A short, nervous breath came out. _Let things take their course._ I reached up, grabbing the back of his neck, and pulled him back down to me. I kissed him deeply with everything I could muster.

That liquid courage really did the trick.

I gasped into his mouth as his arms circled around me and I felt air beneath my feet as picked me up and set me on counter. Sasuke moved in, impossibly close, surrounding me with his warmth. My heart soared, higher and higher, each time our lips made contact.

I grew bold. I broke myself from his lips and moved. He frowned disappointed, until I wrapped my legs around his waist. I could feel a blush touch my cheeks, but I held his pleasantly surprised gaze. He locked his hands to my hips and urged me back towards him. I eagerly complied. _I let go of my worries_. I kissed his sweet lips, his jawline, and the tips of his cheekbones. I broke away, needing air, and he attacked my neck with licks and kisses. Heat pulled in my belly. My legs reacted, pulling tighter around his waist.

His hands roamed my body, feeling the dip of my curves before ghosting underneath my breasts. He circled up to my shoulders, then dragged a single finger down my chest, curving against the edge of my left breast. My back arched.

Sasuke's hands roamed to my back and under my shirt, reaching up and up until I felt a weight around my breasts release. He unclasped my bra. My heart hammered in my chest as his fingers creeped against my skin up to my shoulders. He tugged the straps off.

He broke from his kisses and leaned up. I groaned in discontent at the loss of his heat. He looked me straight in the eye as he held up my black satin bra, showing me and proudly showing off his trophy, then dropped it to the ground. He was back on me again, hastening our kisses as I slid my hands underneath his shirt to feel his abs.

I thought I did something wrong when he grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands from underneath his shirt. Saddened, I went to apologize, but he cut me off with a searing kiss. He guided my arms around his neck and I complied. His hands went to my derriere. He picked me up again. My legs clenched tighter around his waist. He broke the kiss again.

"Where's your room?" He asked, breathless.

"First door on the right." I responded, just as breathless.

He carried me off towards the bedroom.

* * *

 **Kinda like deja vu, huh? Sakura finally gives in, but what will happen after? He's in her house, and she won't be able to escape him so easily this time...**

 **review plz! Let me know what you thought of this chapter. I know their moving pretty fast, but that's how Sasuke does things. Sakura's weak around him, but she's not easy. I hope I'm doing a good job of displaying that.**


	10. Sasuke's Chapter

**The long awaited chapter is here! A chapter in...Sasuke's perspective!**

 **Now understandably, it jumps around a bit. It's covering a wide range of territory but I think it mixes. Yes, I know a lot of you are upset because there was a cliffy before any x rated stuff could go down, and now your waiting longer for it;p Truth is, smut scenes make me nervous, I'm not sure if I can write one properly. But never fear, there will be some coming up soon. It's worth the wait, I promise.**

 **Sasuke goes in and out from the night at the party, to meeting Sakura again. Yes, he is a bit on the detached side and known as a player for the most part, but it's crucial to 1. Show that he has flaws. All good stories start with flawed characters working towards bettering themselves. and 2. Show that he's _changing,_ and that Sakura is playing a big part in that.**

 **R &R tell me what you think! No flames, just comments and constructive criticism plz.**

Chapter 9: Sasuke's Chapter

Sasuke POV

* * *

I knew that ass anywhere. Last time I'd seen it, those cheeks were squeezing into a little red number and the legs attached were running out my door. It took me a moment, blinking away the morning haze and stretching the kinks out of my taut muscles, to realize she wasn't coming back that fateful morning. That for once someone was running out on _me_. Literally. I frowned.

I didn't know what possessed me to sleep with Sakura. Ever since I met her when I was sixteen, she'd been written off as off limits. Yes, I found her attractive and her voice didn't hurt my ears when she talked. She tended to babble, but I didn't mind her company. Sometimes it was nice to know a girl that I could stand. We were friends, I guess, and I respected her on some level, which was more than I gave most. Maybe that's why I never made a move. Sakura Haruno was bright, pretty, and smart. She was the type to date a nice, clean cut guy and get married to him. Sakura was not the type of girl to fuck someone and walk away; my regular Saturday nights.

But she'd looked so good in that dress.

It'd been a while since I'd seen her, I'd gone off to college a single man just like I wanted to have the _full_ college experience. And I didn't expect to see her at my party. I'd entertained the idea once or twice in high school, what'd it be like to have a girl like her. So I said fuck it.

But as I laid there trying to fall back asleep and forget she'd ever been in my bed (like I did with other girls), there was a deep stir in the pit of my stomach. An unsettling feeling. I attempted to shake it off; it was just sex with me. Always had been. But the small festering dug its way in and nestled into the depths of what I guessed was my heart. There'd been something different…an an inkling to change some things.

I didn't expect her to just _leave_.

Now, years later, there it was. Protruding from a pile of jugs she'd knocked over. I'd come just in time to see her wiggling her backside, struggling to pull herself out, jeans tight. They fit the curve of her ass perfectly.

Yeah. I definitely remembered Sakura. More than I should.

I was almost agitated when the captain assigned me to interview her. If I was honest with myself, there were days where she ran through my mind. Seeing that smile with the delicate curve of her full lips, then seeing her run out of my life. A reminder that irritated me, although why was a mystery.

She was the first girl I slept with. Not sex, but falling asleep with her still next to me and wrapped in my arms. It felt warm, soft, and comfortable. For whatever reason she was my exception. I can come up with tons of excuses, but none fit properly as to why she was different. Sakura had an endearing quality that drew me in. Her face and chest practically glowed red during my _ministrations_ , I could see it through the dark. It was adorable.

Back to the situation at hand.

Sakura had always known how to get herself into weird situations. I listened to her estranged story with mild interest as she dabbed at the ends of her wet rosy hair with a towel. She mentioned something about 'bagels' and wanting to be a 'good Samaritan'. I watched her lips the entire time.

' _Does she remember me?'_ I wondered, but tossed the thought aside. Didn't matter if she did; now wasn't the time for personal thoughts.

But another on slipped through, noting the way she talked and her range of expressions. Sakura hadn't changed much at all, and it was kinda refreshing. She shyly looked away in the middle of her story (I had to hold back a smirk), but there was always a bright light in her green eyes. Her hair looked the same, maybe a little longer, hard to tell as it curled at the ends while it dried. Her eyelashes are dewy making them look shiny. Sakura _is_ the same, but she's matured. Both physically and mentally. All the pretty features on her pretty face had enhanced into the gorgeous woman before me.

Perhaps, I decided, it was best if she didn't remember me after all; it wouldn't be good for my sanity, awkwardly dancing around past feel-… _things_.

I go through the normal protocol with Sakura, but I can't help but tease her. Old habits die hard. She still flashes that cute, shy smile and flutters her long lashes at me. This time I can't hold back the smirk on my face. Maybe…we could…

I stop my thoughts before they go further.

I'm telling her to go when another officer calls my name. I swivel my head to the side to answer, but I catch Sakura's wide eyed reaction out of the corner of my eye. Recognition? By the time I turn back she's briskly walking away.

Sakura Haruno definitely remembers me now.

I figured I wouldn't see her again after that, unless I called the number she'd jotted down. A frown graced my lips at using police information to get a girl's number.

If only she'd known how much trouble she'd gotten herself into.

* * *

When I see her again it's much too soon and under grim circumstances. She seems just as surprised as I am, seeing me standing at her front door. My eyes wander too long and I curse myself. Then I'm watching and trying to stay aloof as captain tells her with a sad tone what's happened.

I don't know why I did it, why I volunteered to watch her. The words escaped my lips before I knew it was happening. But I meant them.

Looking at Sakura had a warm nostalgia. A beacon of light. But also, she reminded me of that party so many years ago which was strange because I never remembered those. But, I vividly remembered _that_ party.

By that point in my life, I was already getting tired of parties. I'd been drinking since the 7th grade and lived a full life as an alcoholic frat boy before I hit college. Suigetsu had insisted that we have an end of the semester bash, more like demanded, and I didn't want to waste the energy to argue with him.

I was standing there with a girl on my arm talking to my buddies. I vaguely remembered what she looked like, light chestnut hair with same color of eyes, and I didn't know her name. She'd told me once or twice, but I purposefully didn't listen. I never kept the names when it was a one night fuck. And it felt unmanlike to admit that I was getting tired of that too.

It was in that moment, when I was wavering, that I saw her.

Sakura Haruno, a friend kept at arm's length because one of my best friend's had a monumental crush on her. I hadn't talked to her in a while, but Naruto had told me she had a scholarship for KU, for smarts and track, and never came to parties.

She wore a skin tight dress, passionate red and only reaching mid-thigh. It was the most provocative things I'd ever seen her in. It fit around her curves perfectly, and my eyes lingered at the way the material clung to her round ass. She's always been hot, but damn. Problem was she was smart. Sweet but fiery. Sarcastic and funny. And I knew her name, unlike what's-her-tits on my arm (not to mention she was deemed 'off-limits'). She wasn't the type that you hook up with and never speak to again. She was bedroom talk, cuddling, and making breakfast in the morning type of girl. I didn't do any of those things.

I needed another drink. A stronger one.

Each passing moment I drew closer to her. I told myself no, berating my body for betraying me. Naruto had made it clear that she was not to be fucked with and I agreed.

So why did I talk to her anyways, after she rejected him?

Respect? Admiration for picking the tough route and saving my friend from further distress? Her ballsy refusal to lead him on? The sad look in her eyes?

And once I was drawn in I couldn't stop the storm from toppling over the barriers anymore. Even when she _ran_ from me.

She told me things no one had ever said to me. A player, asshole, even a man-whore on occasion, but being a good man….

It was then I knew I had to have her.

Now, sitting across from her in her office and watching her scribble something on some papers, the same feeling bubbled up within me. I want, a need, something else? Whatever the fuck it was. It grew, every time she looked at me.

With the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled, or the little twinkle hidden in her green eyes when she said something teasingly.

The obvious nervousness she had being alone with me in her apartment, ready to burst with blushes at any moment.

The blush that'd cover her cheeks and neck when I flirted, or how her eyes would darken from a sea green to emerald when she flirted back.

How she'd rushed to me when she was scared to death and buried her head into my shoulder without a second thought.

How warm she felt when I held her.

The way she looked at me, pouty lips and glazed over eyes, when I leaned in to kiss her.

It grew until I couldn't hold back anymore.

* * *

 **Is he in love and oblivious about it? Maybe.**

 **Remember that yes, Sasuke was a player in his younger years. But all that changed for him so don't get mad!**

 **Until next time!**


	11. The Morning After

I know, I'm terrible for leaving you hanging for so long. Especially when this chapter has been 85% done for months. I've realized that it might be easier to write short stories a.e. shorter chapters. It's just easier to make sure I keep writing and actually completing something. Understand I'm still trying to find my writing voice and the best way for me to write. If I can't finish, then I'm a terrible story teller! So I'll keep preserving!

TBT chapter 10: The Morning After

* * *

Sakura's POV

Upon my awakening the next morning, I noticed three things.

1\. I was naked.

2\. The pillow I was using wasn't a pillow, but a very muscular bicep.

3\. That very muscular bicep was Sasuke's. I knew because when I turned to find where it lead to, I came face to face with his slumbering form.

I immediately froze, and my eyes widened to the size of saucers.

Oh. My. _God._

My mind went blank for a few moments before a panicked frenzy of thoughts came. They passed so fast that I could barely keep up. Only one thought came through clearly;What had I gotten myself into? I scooted away slightly, trying to create distance so I could get some air and calm down, but an arm barrier prevented me from moving very far. Sasuke's arm was lazily draped across my waist. What do I do? What if he wakes up? What'll he do when he _does_ wake up?

What do I do?

My eyes narrowed. There was only one rational thing to do. The thing I'd known to do years before to avoid all of this.

Run for it.

I shifted, lifting his arm a little to crawl out underneath without waking him. I pulled the sheet back just enough to free my legs and swung them over the side of the bed. However, when I looked back to check that he was still asleep, I realized I'd pulled the blanket from his body too. My gaze betrayed me when it landed on the torso of an Olympian god. I hungrily took in the sight. His face looked childlike, at peace, but as my eyes trailed farther to more intimate places my mind went from adorable to…heated. He had a sharp 'v' peeking out from the blanket, and his six pack and sculpted chest were exposed.

I'd never described a man as gorgeous until I met Sasuke.

I forced my eyes away, face getting hot. I needed to leave. _Now_.

I wrapped a sheet forgotten on the ground around my figure. I hoisted myself up, already scanning for my articles of clothing, when there was a sudden jolt. Something tugged at my wrist. My eyes dared to peek past my shoulder, just enough to see a much bigger hand trapping my wrist in its hold.

I gulped.

Ebony eyes stared straight into mine. A small scowl marred Sasuke's face, showing his discontent. I'd been caught. My heart flew a thousand miles an hour, anxiety and anticipation choking me. What was he thinking, catching me like this, after our…coupling?

"You think you're gonna skip out on me again?" He asked, but it sounded more like a lazy accusation.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, until I registered what he said. My mouth clamped abruptly.

Again.

 _Again!?_

"You remember?!" I asked a little too loudly.

Sasuke smirked at me before yanking on my arm, pulling me back into bed with him. I felt my blush glow brighter as he rewrapped his arm around my waist and drew me in.

"Of course. I'd remember that ass anywhere." He retorted.

And here I thought my blush couldn't get worse. I hid my face with my hands.

"And, the hair is hard to forget." He teased.

"Oh, um, well…why didn't you say something?" I asked, tugging the sheet up to make sure my breasts were covered. It was a silly notion after we'd spent the night together, but I felt even a little more secure. Sasuke smirked as I moved the blanket, probably thinking the same thing.

"You're the one that ditched me, remember?" Sasuke responded, placing his chin on my shoulder. He looked at me with expectant eyes.

"I didn't ditch you. I thought that, that was, like, what I was supposed to do in that situation." I murmured.

He chuckled.

"I thought you wouldn't want to see me. That I was just a hookup." I admitted, gazing up at him. He gave me a confused sideways look.

"What made you think that?" He asked.

"It's not like you ever called me or anything." I retorted.

Sasuke frowned.

"Sakura, I didn't have your number."

I blinked. _Oh._

"I gave you mine. _You're_ the one that didn't call _me_." He clarified.

 _What?!_

"No I don't!" I defended, pulling away to properly look at him.

Sasuke sighed.

"Sakura, I know you do. I put it in your phone myself."

I rolled away from him and reached for my phone on the stand. I scrolled through my contacts, I knew for a fact I'd never bothered to look through and delete any numbers. My hand froze when I landed in the 'S'.

' _There's no way.'_

There it was staring me in the face: _Sasuke Uchiha_. Big blocky numbers mocking me from my phone screen with a full 9 digit number slapping me in the face. I gaped. But when?!

I squinted my eyes, for once wanting to remember something from that night.

* * *

 _We were both panting, coming down from our highs. I release my hands from his shoulders and I was sure he was going to have marks for a while. My head flopped back onto the pillow, feeling the bliss of relief. Sasuke was still on top, supporting himself on his elbows. He reached past me._

" _Sasuke."_

 _He looked down at me, drawing his hand back to my face. He grabbed my chin and traced my lower lip with his thumb. He bent down and gave me a soft peck. I closed my eyes, reveling at the sensation, as I felt him shift above me again. What was he reaching for? I opened my eyes to find him holding a phone. Sasuke squinted at it as he typed something._

 _What…what was he doing?_

 _I was too tired to ask. My eyes started to droop, and I drug my hands down his chest. He looked at me, gave me a small smile, and then put the phone back on the stand. He settled beside me, pulling at my hip to come with him. I turned on my side as his arm rested lazily over my waist. There was a rare, honest look in his eyes._

" _." He spoke, but I was already fading into my dreams. His lips were moving but I couldn't hear what he was saying. He gave me one last peck on my shoulder before we were both fast asleep._

But wait a minute. I was remembering it now; Sasuke's phone wasn't on the stand next to his bed. He'd left his on top of his dresser. _My_ phone was on the stand.

The revelation was like a bucket of cold water being thrown in my face.

I was such an idiot. _'He'd told me to call him and I wasn't even listening. He had wanted more than a hookup.'_

"Oh my god." I exclaimed. I groaned into my hands, giving Sasuke the opportunity to pull the sheet down and expose my chest.

"Hey!" I squeaked, slapping at his arm. He chuckled again.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before." He reasoned.

I rested my hand against his bicep, leaning into him slightly.

"Even so, we both went to KU a couple weeks after. Why didn't you talk to me?" I asked.

"I took you not calling was a big red sign saying 'fuck off'." He told me.

My mind was whirling with so many possibilities. Maybe Ino was right! Perhaps we'd been given a second chance...

Sasuke shifted, pulling himself up onto his elbow. He stared down at me with a strange look in his eyes, almost puzzled, then started to get up. He must have forgotten that he was naked. I quickly pulled the cover over my face, too embarrassed to brazenly look at Sasuke naked in the daylight. I heard him laugh at my expense, adding to my shame.

A minute after laying there in semi-awkward silence on my part, I heard rustling; then his belt buckle jingling.

I risked a peek and seeing that he was at least wearing pants, I decided it was safe to look. He finished buttoning his jeans and stretched his arms over his head. My head tilted as I watched the muscles in his back pucker with muscle. I clutched the sheets to my chest. He didn't grab his shirt off the ground. Without so much as one word, Sasuke opened my bedroom door and walked out of the room.

I sat there on my bed, befuddled and still only covered with a bed sheet. I glanced over to his shirt laying on the ground. …He wouldn't have left without his shirt would he? I hadn't heard the front door. He could just be going to the bathroom. I contemplated what to do; was I supposed to stay in bed or should I start making coffee? That seemed like something someone would do for the morning after. But I don't have coffee since I think it's gross. I tapped an inquisitive finger to my lips.

A sudden bang rang through my apartment, like a pan falling out of the pantry. Was Sasuke in the kitchen? Damn; he was looking for the coffee that I didn't have. I sighed and got up. I slipped on my underwear, along with a long t-shirt pajama dress. I leaned against the frame and peeked out the door. Sasuke was in the kitchen alright, but I had felt like my eyes were playing tricks on me. Such a strange sight, seeing Sasuke cooking in my kitchen. I leaned further out, sniffing the wonderful smells. Eggs, bacon, and pancakes? I felt perplexed.

Sasuke was making _me_ breakfast.

* * *

I stabbed a chicken dumpling as Ino squealed in the cafeteria. The whole cafeteria winced.

"Keep it down Ino." I begged. After this morning Sasuke had left to shower and change as I went to work. He might already be sitting in my office, or in the cafeteria listening to our conversation covertly; couldn't be too safe. I shushed her once more and Ino quieted down, scooting her chair closer to mine.

"Sooooo," she whispered with a wiggle of her eyebrows, "what happened after?"

"…he had to leave after." I said calmly, although my heart pounded every time I replayed it in my head. I tried to shake it off but I couldn't help it, I was so excited. _'Slow your roll, girl. Sleeping together once doesn't mean you're going steady.'_ The rational side of my mind chastised. However, I was allowed to bask in the glory for a little right? I felt great, and everything from the first kiss to the last was wonderful. A dopey smile poked through and Ino returned one.

"Hey, I see prince charming now."

I heard the words and saw Ino wink just as I turned my head towards the entrance. Sasuke was standing at the door and scanning the room. Probably looking for me. A blush littered my face. Ino gave me one more sly look and scooched her chair back loudly, grabbing her tray. Nerves pricked through my body.

"Wait, where are you going?!"

"Sounds like you need some alone time with Sa-su-ke." She drawled out, getting up before I could grab her sleeve and beg her to say. Was I happy? Yes. Was I still scared out of my mind of him? Also yes. It's hard to explain; I wanted to see him but I was so nervous. We hadn't talked much during breakfast and I didn't understand how I was supposed to act now that things had changed.

I froze. It looked like I didn't have a lot of time to prepare; Sasuke had heard Ino's loud chair screech (I know that's why she did it, sneaky) and was heading my way. I scanned his face for anything; a small smile, blush, glint in the eyes? But Sasuke remained the same, with a stoic look on his face. He was really good at masking his emotions.

He sat down in Ino's abandoned seat, and I turned my gaze to my leftover dumplings.

"Hey." I greeted shyly.

"Hey, how have things been?" He asked.

"Pretty good." I replied what I thought was cooly. I sneaked a peek at him. He wasn't even looking in my direction, he was looking toward the cafeteria line. He got up quickly, so suddenly I almost flung a piece of lettuce off my plate.

"I'm going to get some coffee." He announced, then stalked off without waiting for a reply.

My attitude deflated. That wasn't the reaction I was expecting or hoping for. I frowned, then picked up the dumpling I just pierced and chewed it aggressively.

I took a deep breath. _Act cool._

Sasuke sat back down with coffee in hand. He swished it around and took a sip. My eyes lingered on the juncture of his lips and the coffee lid for a second longer than needed. I grabbed my water and took a swig, making sure my throat was clear.

"Um, there hasn't been many admissions today. All of them usual" I said. He looked at me. I faltered. "That's what you were asking about right? Any suspicious looking people or heavy workload." I wanted to palm my forehead out of sheer stupidity. Smooth Sakura. Real smooth.

Sasuke shrugged. "Maybe." He said behind his coffee cup.

What did _that_ mean?

' _Don't overthink it!'_

I ate the last dumpling on my plate, finished my water, and got up without asking him if he was done. I threw my plate away and looked up at the clock; it was the end of my lunch break anyways. I thought about just walking out without saying a word, play hard to get right? But I found myself walking back to the table. I leaned against one nonchalantly. When I stood there awkwardly half leaning on a plastic chair for too long Sasuke looked up at me expectantly.

"My break's over, I'm going to head back to my office." I told him.

He nodded. I waited.

"Okayyy." I breathed, and briskly walked away. I didn't relax until I got past the door and down the hallway. I relaxed my shoulders and sighed. Geez, why was it so hard for me to act normal? I shook my head and started walking again.

To get back to my office I had to walk past the waiting room. There were a couple of people sitting, but I didn't pay much attention because none of them looked like my regular clients. I was almost out of sight when I felt like I was being watched. I felt a tingling up my spine.

I turned around and snuck a look in the waiting room; nothing out of the ordinary. I scanned the faces of the room until I reached the last one. He seemed normal enough. The guy bordered on attractive but relatively plain, expect for the intense gaze he had on me. I quickly ducked out and walked a little quicker. I'd gotten looks before, wasn't as bad as the old men that tried to get a peek at Ino's cleavage when she was doing physicals, but I didn't feel flattered. I felt dirty.

Sasuke walked into the office five minutes after me; I didn't look up from my files, as hard as it was. There was still some gushing and warm fuzzy feelings when I thought about last night, but I couldn't project them in front of Sasuke. If he wasn't going to show his cards then neither was I.

It didn't hurt to sneak one little peek though, would it? My green eyes fluttered up only to connect with Sasuke's steady gaze. I quickly looked down, but couldn't hide the grin creeping on my face. Damn, I was bad at this.

A knock on my door jarred me out of my thoughts. A nurse opened the door and peeked her head inside. Her gaze lingered on Sasuke (I can't blame her, he's gorgeous), but he ignored her and kept reading. Dejected, she regarded me.

"Sakura, could you do a routine checkup?"

"Um, sure. Who is it?"

"I'm not sure, his clipboard is on door five. He's already waiting inside. Sorry to drop this on you but he said he wanted to see you."

I waved her off. "It's alright, I can do it. Thank you."

She took another hopeful glance at Sasuke. This time, almost annoyed with her stare, he looked up with a raised brow. He effectively scared her off as she hurriedly closed the door. I almost laughed. I got up and smoothed my coat. "I'll be back." I told him, and walked out with my head held high. Door five was only a few doors down, close enough to where Sasuke didn't have to stand outside the door. I grabbed the clipboard. Normally I'd flip through, but it was a single sheet and almost completely blank. I frowned. It was the emptiest medical history I'd ever seen; just a couple shots here or there, and none of them recorded from this hospital.

I walked in to see intense stare guy looking back at me. He was still looking at me, scanning my face and not even trying to hide it. Strange, but no reason to be threatened. Yet. I gave him a cheery smile.

"Hi, I'm Sakura Haruno. You're here for a standard checkup?" I greeted my normal line.

A couple minutes in a started to regret saying yes to this checkup.

It wasn't that he was being crude or touchy; it was actually the opposite. He sat completely still, haunched over in relaxation. But his intense eyes followed my every move. He scanned my face pensively, watched my mouth move when I asked him to breath in, stared at my hand on his wrist as I took his heart rate. It made me uncomfortable, but it was more than that.

He finally spoke. "Your as pretty as they say." He said matter-of-factly. I almost didn't catch the compliment he'd said it so plainly.

"Thank you." I replied, not knowing what to say, and went back to writing on my clipboard. I was almost done, just a few more items to fill and then I'd be back in the safety of my office.

"So, for medical history-"  
He sat up.

"Oh, don't worry about that. My personal doctor has everything he needs. I just wanted to come see you." He said casually, eyes still flicking over my body. I was starting to get irritated, but he was still a patient and it was unacceptable to be unprofessional.

"Oh, well, what hospital does he work at? I can fax your updated physical-"

I stopped speaking as he just stared at me. Or rather, at my left hand laying on the clipboard. His eyes clouded over and he didn't move. My hand crawled into a fist instinctively.

He noticed the movement and flicked his now clear eyes to mine. "Don't bother."

I shot up out of my seat.

I needed to get out of here. Nervously laughing to lighten the mood, I pulled off my gloves quickly and hurriedly washed them. As soon as I left the room I'd tell Sasuke about this guy and send him in. Whether or not he was a threat, Sasuke would make sure he never came back to see me.

"I'll send a nurse in to release you-" I started my excuse, but jumped as he suddenly got up. In a accusing voice, he said "You're not wearing it."

I frowned. What was he talking about.

"Um, excuse me?"

He glowered. "The ring, where is the ring. Your supposed to accept his gift and wear it; that's how the ritual works."

Ring? What ring? And something about a ritual-

My eyes widened. Oh no; I'd made a terrible mistake. Slowly and completely by accident I caught his gaze. He knew that I'd figured out who he was, and what ring and ritual he was talking about. The mystery man stepped forward, a devious smirk revealing on his thin lips.

Typically, in a situation where you were being pursued by an unwanted assailant, I knew what to do. During my track years, for preseason workouts we did differing self-defense classes, partly for self-defense and partly to keep in shape. I had a strong right hook, one that unfortunately Naruto had been victim to freshmen year when he had the audacity to cop a feel on my rear. I didn't even know it was him behind me; my body reacted strictly from reflex. I spun around and knocked him squarely in the jaw. He went down like a sack of potatoes.

Later, he admitted that he meant to tease me, but his world went black a few seconds after I landed the hit. One hit knockout that I knew I was capable of when I had the element of surprised.

However, this was a starkly different circumstance. When it was Naruto I thought it was some punk trying to be funny, and it was easy to be confident in classes where your hitting bags or training with someone who has mitts on. This was a real life fear of being in danger. There was nothing in class to simulate panic.

Instead of putting up my dooks and taking him on like a badass, I reacted much differently. I screamed at the top of my lungs and smacked him with my clipboard repeatedly.

The man in front of me yelped, not prepared for the attack, and crossed his arms in front of his face as a shield. Banging erupted on the door, and then Sasuke bursted in. The loud noises brought me back to my senses, and finally, my old training kicked in. I threw the clipboard at the man, rose my fists, and powered forward.

Sasuke grabbed me from behind, hurriedly trying to put distance between me and the creep, but my swing was already in motion. I had just enough reached as Sasuke pulled me back to land my infamous right hook on the man's nose. A crack echoed, followed by a cry of pain.

The man withered in his spot, cursing to himself and groaning while holding his nose. Sasuke's grip loosened on me, and I took the opportunity to kick out. I landed a blow between his legs, hard. The man fell to the floor in pain, unsure whether to caress his broken nose or take care of his nether region. Sasuke blinked, face blank before he peered down at me with a perplexed expression. He turned his gaze on the defeated man on the floor.

"Remind me to never to piss you off." He murmured.

* * *

Viola!


	12. Party Hard

**Hello All! Sorry it's been so long...**

 **I got lost on the road of life. But I'm determined to finish this!**

 **BTW: I know touche has an accent ' over it, but for some reason I couldn't figure out how to do the proper e:p**

* * *

Chapter 11/12ish: Party Hard

I jerked as a hand landed on my shoulder but immediately relaxed when I glanced back and saw it was Sasuke. He set the bowl of popcorn he'd been holding on the end table and swiped the hair away from the nape of my neck, firmly pressing his thumbs and palms against my shoulders in a circular motion. I gladly accepted the massage, leaning back against the couch's arm and his chest. My whole body tensed every time I heard a noise behind me or thought some stranger was looking at me for too long. Sasuke had been doing what he could to calm me down, but it wasn't easy. My whole psyche had been shaken and it took time to calm my mind and body after what I'd been experiencing. Even after I accomplished that, I'd live with fear underlining my belly that would never go away.

And I still didn't feel out of the woods yet.

It'd been a couple days since they arrested the cultist who'd come to the hospital and trampled all over my life. As far as I knew they were relentlessly grilling him, trying to get him to spill any bit of info he knew. It worried me that it was taking so long, but at least the guy was behind bars. Hard to stalk someone from confinement. It'd been a terrific and terrible two days. Terrible because of the unhealthy and paranoid tendencies I'd developed, but wonderful because things with Sasuke had been heavenly. He kissed me deeply, caressed my body in all the right ways, and spoiled me (to a degree). I lapped it up like a kitten drinking warm milk. It was the reason why I hadn't asked him about our relationship.

They were many things we did as a couple. We hung out, joked, went out to eat, and, erm, were intimate. I liked him, and I could tell he liked me. Yet I was so afraid that mentioning 'dating' or 'boyfriend' would have him running for the hills. It'd make things awkward, especially if we didn't have the same views about each other. I wanted a wholesome relationship, that was just the type of girl I was, but I was too chicken to push for it. I could see the remnants of the old Sasuke in him, and I knew old Sasuke wasn't a fan of labels and relationships. One sentence could ruin what we already had. I just wanted to keep enjoying things as they were. Not make everything complicated like I tended to do. I would smash that annoying little voice in my head as long as I could bear if it meant I could stay like this with him.

"You need to relax." He said, letting his hand drag across my back before sitting down to start our movie night. Sasuke was absolutely right, but how could I relax with him so close to me? Tempting me with subtle massages and staring at me with sultry eyes?Not to mention that my paranoia commonly pointed out the subtle reminders around the city of a cult hidden in the shadows... I swore that two split personalities were going to develop in my mind if I couldn't decide what to overthink more; the cult or Sasuke.

I smiled to hide my thoughts and leaned into his chest, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I know." I told him, and I meant it. It was time for me to make an active effort to not let my thoughts take the tiniest bit of info and run away with it.

Sasuke pressed play and the movie blared to life. It was an indie action flick I'd never heard of before, and I tried to follow the storyline as best as I could. When I told him I'd never seen it before, Sasuke looked at me baffled and said "you need to get out more." I laughed ironically, thinking ' _you have no idea.'_ So we'd reserved tonight as a laid back movie night, which was supposed to take my mind off of what kind of information the police were collecting on my attacker. Sasuke had kept tight lipped about the whole thing, and did what he could to help me forget about it until they brought me in with details. It was working, sort of. Halfway through the movie I think he picked up on that since he started nibbling on my ear.

My phone started buzzing with texts from Ino and Naruto. I hadn't picked up my phone since we were watching a movie and I was absorbed into Sasuke's side. After the fifth time, I pulled my phone out to see what the fuss was about. Maybe there was an emergency. It was mostly Naruto, saying he needed to hang out this weekend and begging for a reply. I rolled my eyes. Starting a message, I typed that I was busy watching a movie with Sasuke. I stopped before the send button; then deleted half the message and just left ' _busy. Watching a movie.'_

Send.

There was no reason not to tell him I was hanging out with Sasuke. It wasn't like I was telling him ' _hey, remember Sasuke? I ran into him when I suddenly attracted a cultist stalker who is also a well known drug runner for the mob and he had to protect me. Well, we've been sleeping together and kinda like a couple now.'_ I paused. Maybe I was avoiding telling Naruto because I'd have to regurgitate how my life had been flipped upside down when I saw Sasuke standing outside my apartment. But he was one of my best friends, he was entitled know wasn't he?

I told myself again, ' _It has nothing to do with my relationship with Sasuke; or Naruto's old feelings.'_

My phone buzzed again.

' _With who?'_

 _-Naruto_

I didn't text him back.

I was at work eating lunch in my office the next day when I got a surprising but exciting text from my man in uniform.

' _You wanna come over this weekend? I'm having a few friends stop by and it'd be nice to see ya.'_

 _-Sasuke_

My mind automatically went to the parties Sasuke used to be heavily involved in, but I had to remind myself that we were older. Cop Sasuke probably wouldn't be throwing anymore college parties with underage drinking and pot; he was the one that broke them up after neighbors complained about the noise. No, it was probably more of a casual get together. And he'd thought of me.

' _Sure.'_ I replied, trying not to sound giddy..

"Sasuke just asked if I wanted to come over this weekend." I exclaimed excitedly.

Ino stared back unimpressed, still chewing on her apple. She swallowed. "So?" She replied unenthusiastically, then took another bite. "You guys hang out like every day." She added with a full mouth.

Ino was happy for Sasuke and me, she really was; in her defense lately I'd been non stop talking about him, and a lot of it was gushy bragging. I would be annoyed with myself if I wasn't so blinded by my feelings. It couldn't be helped, Sasuke gave life back into my regular routine.

"So," I started, picking at my ham and cheese melt while emphasizing the word, "He's never invited me over before. It'll be the first time going over to his house."

It was true. Whenever we hung out I always invited Sasuke over, or if we went out we always ended up back at my apartment. I had a feeling that he picked up that my apartment was where I was the most comfortable. Or maybe I had a nicer bed than he did. Ino popped her head up, now engrossed in the conversation. She put her elbow on my desk and leaned in with undivided attention. "I didn't know that; sounds like he really likes you." She replied.

"Yeah, but it sounds like some of his friends will be there…." My voice dropped off.

"That's good. Maybe he does see you as his girlfriend if he wants you to meet his friends and all."

"I don't know. He could just be inviting me as another friend?" I exclaimed wearily. I was still struggling not knowing the basis of our relationship and Ino was the only one that knew. She nodded in understanding.

"Just go super casual and watch his first move. If he holds your hand in public or kisses you, then it's obvious. If not then it might be as complicated as you think."

I groaned, the thought made my stomach drop.

She reiterated the phrase she'd been telling me since I'd first hooked up with him.

"Just be straight with him and ask him. What are you so afraid of?"

"You know what."

"That he'll admit he's just in it for the sex? That he doesn't really like you?"

I nodded solemnly, but Ino provided one more option that I wasn't sure how to feel about.

"Or that you might actually have something together?"

My phone went crazy on the table, buzzing to life. Naruto, again. ' _I forgot to message him back.'_ I remembered guiltily, but I didn't know what to tell him. Ino picked up the conflicted crease in my brow.

"Who is it?"

I shoved the phone into my coat jacket and shrugged my shoulders, answering "Naruto."

Ino made a face that only frenemies made; Naruto did the same when I mentioned Ino or when we all hung out together. They could get along if they wanted to, they both just liked being the center of attention too much. "It's weird of you not to text him back right away, something wrong?"

"He doesn't know about Sasuke yet, and I'm not sure what to tell him."

If I wasn't busy thinking about Sasuke and the occult, my mind would be tearing itself up from guilt of ignoring Naruto and not telling him such a crucial part of my life. I didn't know why I was so hesitant to tell him.

"Why? Is it because of his crush?"

I shifted in my seat; broaching this topic always felt wrong. Like talking behind your best friends back but _needing_ to. Just to get it all out in the open so it's not weighing on your shoulders, but not embarrassing them at the same time.

My life was becoming more complicated by the minute.

"I don't know...maybe. Or like a betrayal? Naruto wanted us all to be friends at first, but always seemed so against even talking to Sasuke once we got older. It's like going behind a friends back for a guy that you agreed neither of you would go for. Like if both you and I saw a guy we liked, then made a pact that neither of us would go out with him."

"He can't tell you who to date, and it's not like you and I competing for a guy in high school."

"I know you're right, and still….I don't know. Waiting for the right moment I guess."

"Like with asking Sasuke what you are to him."

We sat there for a minute, staring each other down.

"Touche."

* * *

Waiting for Saturday felt like forever after that; I repeatedly attempted not thinking about things and going with the flow. It worked; sometimes.

Right now was not one of these times.

"I should've picked the black top." I murmured in my car, just parked outside the address Sasuke had given me. It hadn't even occurred to me that I didn't know where he lived until he sent his address. It was a nice, dark blue contemporary craftsman house. I turned the car off and tugged at the collar of my shirt. I'd chosen a pale dusty pink shirt with a modest v-neckline. The part I was unsure about was the little ruffle lining on side of the collar, going down to the cinched middle. It was snug and I knew when I bought it that I looked good in it, but now I was thinking that it was too flashy for me and this 'casual get together'. Especially with the mid rise jean shorts that showed off a good bit of leg. It wasn't a typical Sakura outfit (Jeans and a t-shirt, or some sweats were preferred), but I'd always liked cute clothes. The problem was that I didn't think they fit me, or really looked good on me so I never wore them. A girlier side of me bubbled up at every occasion and opportunity that gave me the chance to dress up, but when I stared in the mirror it just felt strange. I managed to drive all the way up into the driveway before I panicked about my fashion choices.

' _Just act confident and no one will question it.'_ I told myself.

I groaned again and got out of the car.

' _Here.'_ I sent a quick text to Sasuke, unsure of what entrance to go to. I went ahead and walked to the front, weaving around a couple other cars that got here before me, and casually knocked on the door. I tugged at my shorts while I waited. My back pocket buzzed, and my hand flew to read the response.

' _Come around back.'_

I frowned a bit; text messages were difficult to read tone and emotion to begin with. Texts from Sasuke were even harder when I wasn't doing very well not reading too much into things. Was he excited that I was here? The text had been so...bland.

I took a deep breath and followed the trail around the house to the back, reminding myself to be confident. As I rounded the corner I looked up soberly just in time to see Suigetsu, peeing off the porch. My hands flew to cover my eyes and I let out a screech.

"Oh, hey Sakura."

* * *

 **Gross, but true story unfortunately. Next chapter up soon!**


	13. Where We Stand

**And another!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Where We Stand

"Sorry, nobody usually comes around from that side. Everybody goes through the gate connected to the garage." Suigetsu apologized, a little too giddy for the meeting we just had.

"Lucky me." I murmured.

I remembered Suigetsu; he was Sasuke's age and they had hung out together in high school and had been roommates for a while in college. He...wasn't my favorite. Suigetsu was known for causing trouble, and you could tell by his sharky smiles that he enjoyed it. Not the type goody two shoes high school Sakura would hang around. But he was nice enough, and high school Sakura had spent too much time being judgmental.

Suigetsu led me from the small deck and around the corner to a patio area. Not too far away was a fire pit with logs and benches surrounding a roaring fire, along with 5-6 people drinking and talking around it. I did a quick skim of heads but didn't see Sasuke. I opened my mouth to ask Suigetsu where my possible boyfriend/friend with benefits was, but as I turned to ask he'd already grabbed a beer and joined the group around the fire.

I stood there awkwardly, just out of the perimeter of the people and warmth of the fire. ' _Act confident.'_ I reminded myself. Scrunching my nose, I decided to explore. Sasuke had a decent sized yard, maybe half an acre, surrounded by a forested area which was nice for privacy.

I saw a larger deck connected to the house and decided to head inside.

The first room I walked into was a modest kitchen and pantry. It was empty, so I stepped to the right through the archway into a dining room. In the middle of the room was a large oak table with a group of guys drinking beer out of mugs and playing cards. There was Sasuke, sitting next to the window, with an empty seat next to him. I smiled.

"Sakura!" One of the men at the table exclaimed, waving from his seat. I remembered him; I had calculus with Juugo back in the day, and he always seemed really nice. Waving back shyly, I snuck a glance at Sasuke to see his reaction to my entrance. He barely looked up from his cards, but casted a smirk my way. I took it as a good sign and went to sit next to him.

The table greeted me, some people I vaguely knew from high school and others I didn't recognize. After I said hello everyone went back to their earlier conversations and game. I sat there, folding my hands in my lap and sitting there awkwardly. I watched quietly, sneaking looks over to the raven haired man next to me. He hadn't made a big deal about seeing me, not that it was his style, but i'd hoped for more.

I felt a hand sneak onto my thigh and I blushed. Sasuke was holding his cards with one hand, and with the other he'd reached over and squeezed me knee, firmly planting it on my leg. I desperately worked to kill the blush rising on my face and remain calm.

Every time Sasuke's turn came up or he went to draw a card, he'd remove his hand off my leg. As soon as I started to miss the warmth it would return under the table. I felt like squealing but kept it cool.

"Looks like someone might have a good hand, or their really good at bluffing."

A girl sitting across the table exclaimed directly to Sasuke. She wasn't part of the card game; instead she had casually propped her chin on her hand, resting her elbow on the table while she used the other hand to stir her colorful mixed drink. Her position accentuated her bust, I'm sure purposefully pushing them out to view. I immediately didn't like her. I also didn't like Sasuke's reaction.

A slow smirk crept onto his face, and he replied with a cheeky comment in his sultry voice. I frowned as she laughed just a little too loudly, eyes glued onto him. The same jealousy I felt when Ino had first Sasuke emerged, but it flared out, reaching every part of my body. When Ino had flirted with Sasuke he had brushed it off, but right now his response was borderline...flirty. I wanted to say something or do something badly, but reality smacked me in the face.

We we're sleeping together, yeah.

We. were. Not. dating. At least, as far as everyone else was concerned. We didn't have a committed relationship but it hadn't even occurred to me that it meant he might also be sleeping with other women. Any happiness of showing up here deflated.

' _I should've worn the black top.'_

"Well," One of the guys pipped after they finished a game, of poker I think, "seems like the perfect time for a smoke break!"

Sasuke's hand disappeared from my knee as he got up and followed a small crowd out onto the deck. I looked around and realized I was the only one who hadn't gotten up. I twiddled my thumbs while in my seat.

Well, this was awkward.

I got up and snuck up to the door that lead to the deck. It was starting to get chilly out so I didn't want to go outside, but that was where Sasuke was. I peeked through the door window. My blood boiled and there was a cold drop in my stomach.

Sasuke was out there smoking alright, and so was that girl from earlier. I watched as she laughed as Sasuke said something to her. And then she had the gall to put her hand on his chest, passing it off as a small push. Sasuke seemed to ignore it and go back to the larger group conversation, but she seemed _very_ satisfied. Eyes narrowed, I took a closer look at her.

She was shorter than me and her hair was firetruck red. Blegh. She also wore a revealing outfit of black booty shorts, a purple tank and a dinky black sweater that didn't cover anything. This redhead looked familiar.

I saw people finishing their smokes and heading back towards the door. As I dashed back to my spot I realized who this girl was that had the audacity to openly flirt and talk to Sasuke. It was Karin; an ex-girlfriend. I inwardly scoffed as people shuffled back inside. Why was she here, especially if she was an ex? Did Sasuke still have feelings for her?

My heart was hurting more and more as I thought about how much of a mistake I'd made. Not just coming here...but by becoming involved with Sasuke without setting aside ground rules.

History was repeating...was a just a good fuck to him?

Oh no; I started feeling lightheaded, tears prickling at my eyes. I hid it pretty well I thought, no one was giving me weird looks or asking if I was okay. ' _Come up with an excuse and leave.' 'Call him out in front of everybody.' 'Stay and fight for your feelings…'_

Welcome back to overthinking every little thing. I reminded myself to calm down, don't get worked up or jump to conclusions, but the doubts started piling and wouldn't leave. Would smacking my head against the table make me look nuts? Yeah, probably.

Sulking, I sat there silently, unsure what to do and too afraid to move in fear of acting rashly and losing Sasuke. I really liked him. Really, really liked him. Sasuke had gotten under my skin and nested there so easily even through my thick skin.

I closed my eyes. And here I thought I could keep my heart out of it. I was wrong.

Sasuke's hand slid back over onto my knee again, sliding up and down under the table. Panicking, I stood up suddenly and walked off. I didn't look at Sasuke to see his reaction, if he even had one.

For all I cared, he could hang out with _Karen_ (but I really did care).

I walked into the kitchen to grab a drink to calm my nerves. I was too much of a fool to leave right now. If I left would things grow between Sasuke and Karen?...Why was I even here, maybe I was just an option?...

I sighed.

"Hey!" My drink splashed as a pale arm flew around my shoulders, and Suigetsu's flashy grin turned towards me. I tried to shrink away from the blue-haired man but he wasn't letting me go so easily. He theatrically cupped a hand around his mouth to the rest of the people also currently in the kitchen, and didn't even whisper as he slurred, "She's seen my penis!"

I lit up red and wanted to die as all eyes turned on us.

I was so busy trying to explain what he meant that I didn't notice that the comment had definitely gotten Sasuke's attention from the large frown littering his face, eyes glued to Suigetsu's arm over me.

A crowd had formed in a circle as I told my story, Suigetsu drunkenly grinning next to me. He still hadn't removed his arm and I'd given up trying (I also hoped it would make Sasuke jealous. Let's see how he likes it!) The guys at the card table had gotten up to hear it, as well as Sasuke coming to stand near me and a sneering Karin standing in the corner. I knew she was the type that liked attention focused her, not on other girls. This made me feel less shitty.

Everyone laughed when I told them about him peeing off the porch right as I turned the corner, and the mood of the room lightened considerably. Sasuke chastised him, coming up behind me to remove Suigetsu's arm and leaving his hand on my shoulder.

"How many times have I said no one's allowed to pee off the porch? Go find a tree or something; no one wants to see your small dick."

If Suigetsu was upset by Sasuke's comment he didn't show it; instead he waved him off and gave a pointed look towards Karin.

"I'm sure Karin would like it." He said and wiggled his brows. Karin scrunched her nose and flipped her hair, replying snottily, "As if." But I caught the edge of a smile as she turned away. Like I thought, she was a girl who liked attention. The more I thought about it, the more I noticed she'd been flirty with quite a couple guys, even if she'd been extra flirty with Sasuke. It made me feel just a teensy bit better.

It was like hearing me tell my embarrassing story opened the floor to people wanting to talk to me, like I was now deemed approachable. I liked it, ignoring that Sasuke's hand was still on my shoulder as I talked to some of his friends.

A guy with short brown hair laughed at a clever comment I said after someone complained about the weather. He turned to Sasuke and slapped him on the back, "Dude, your girlfriends awesome!"

I beamed, looking for the confirmation I'd been looking for. But Sasuke only gave the guy a secretive smile before turning the conversation somewhere else. I noticed that avoided saying anything about use being together and my smile fell.

I was suddenly very tired.

As Sasuke and a group of his peers went out to talk and smoke again, I left in search of the bathroom. After a small journey up the stairs and asking a guy with dreadlocks and glasses where the bathroom was, I found my destination and trapped myself inside. Instead of doing my business on the toilet, I sat on the lip of the tub and crumpled into my hands, groaning loudly.

I sat there for a while, unsure of what to do or how to feel. I kept telling myself to be strong and not let the little things phase me, but it was just so hard to do. Keeping up appearances weren't bad, but the inner turmoil was killing me. Tonight was not going the way I wanted it to. But maybe my expectations were too high. What did I expect, Sasuke to announce his undying love to me in front of everyone? No, that wasn't Sasuke. How could I expect a clear answer to a question I'd never asked?

I groaned again.

' _Has Sasuke noticed I'm gone?'_ I wondered, but I reminded myself not to get my hopes up. I needed to be more realistic. Things between Sasuke and I were casual, and if I ever wanted that to change or for him to truly love me then I needed to grow some balls and find out if it was even possible.

"I say that, but I think I'm just gonna sneak out and not tell anybody…" I murmured to myself.

I was a coward.

I got up and checked my outfit in the mirror, straightening my top and tugging my shorts down. I closed the bathroom door and tried to let my eyes adjust to the dark hallway. ' _Where were the stairs at again?'_ I wondered, slowly walking past a couple doors. It was so dark my eyes were having a hard time adjusting and it didn't help that I was unfamiliar with the layout.

"I think they were around this corner…" I said to myself, trying to make the air feel less stale.

A hand shot out from around the other side of the corner and I gasped, arms coming up to defend myself. Then, I heard chuckling as Sasuke rounded the corner.

I scrunch my face, trying to see clearer to make sure it was him. "Sasuke? Wha?"

He walked over close and wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me in. I immediately felt warmth and melted in to him. My back tingled as I felt his lips move against my neck. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I just hoped you wouldn't kick my ass." He teased, but the moment felt more intimate than light joking.

I turned towards him and looked up into his eyes, lips almost touching. I hadn't been able to see anything earlier, but I could see his eyes and the look he was giving me clear as day. I moved in and planted a small kiss on him, feeling daring as if to tell the inner me that I wasn't a coward.

He sighed and grabbed onto my hand, running his other hand through his midnight locks.

"I'm tired of the party." He said honestly, and I could see that he really was tired. Sasuke had opened up and dropped his facade in front of me. It made him look so much younger and older at the same time.

"Oh, uh, I can go if-"

Sasuke cut me off by pulling me into a room with him and shutting the door. I was blinded in darkness again, dependent on him leading me before he turned a lamp on. ' _His bedroom.'_

It was simple but organized. A king sized bed with navy blue comforter and sheets, a nightstand with a antique lamp (wouldn't think of him as the antique type), a large dresser, and a workshop table with a TV on it, along with a couple strewn clothing and items. There were two other doors, both closets I discovered as I openly snooped.

Sasuke was already lounging on his bed and kicking off his pants. I blushed and looked away. "Oh!" He pulled me back onto the bed and grinned at me as he pulled me in so my head was on his lap. I smiled. I reached up and locked my arms around his neck. "How about you come down here?" I whispered. He tilted my chin up and bent down to meet me halfway.

"I was jealous earlier." I blurted out suddenly, catching both of us off guard. Sasuke looked at me funny, confused, and I pulled the sheets closer to my naked body feeling exposed.

"What?" He asked, turning on his side to give me his full attention. It gave me a nice view of his exposed torso. Even though I'd just seen the whole body my eyes still got caught admiring it.

"Karen." I explained nervously.

He gave me a blank look, then shook his head.

"I'm not interested in Karen."

"...You were talking to her a lot." I mumbled, looking down at my hands as he moved closer. Sasuke sighed.

"I've learned that ignoring Karen doesn't work, you just have to humor until she realizes your not interested."

"Why'd you invite her then? Isn't she your ex?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I didn't invite her, Suigetsu did. He's trying to hook up with her tonight. Hopefully he does, it'll get her out of my hair."

So Sasuke didn't mind one of his friends trying to sleep with his old girlfriend? What he said should've made me feel better, but it didn't. It made me wonder if that'd be me; and ex trying to gain his affections back and him just passing her off like a piece of meat.

I was quiet for a moment, laying there, taking it all in.

"What are we?" My mouth sprouted, almost like it had a mind of it's own. But it was out there now. I looked up at him with hopeful eyes, but all I saw was a straight mouth and blank look.

He was uncomfortable.

His fingers pensively rubbed circles on my stomach through the sheets, and I could tell he was seriously thinking about my question. Then, Sasuke simply said "I don't know."

I stared up at the ceiling.

"I, uh, I like...this…"Sasuke gestured between me and him with his hand, "and I like you. I don't feel the need to….satisfy my...needs...with others?" He struggled to explain.

It sounded like he was saying...he was committed to me? Well, that was nice to know.

"Soooo...are we, ya know, together?" I asked.

Sasuke's brow knitted together as he continued to struggle with such an intimate conversation. His fingers stopped circling my stomach, and then they pensively thumped against my pelvic bone. "I wasn't really looking for a relationship." He told me honestly.

My heart screamed like it'd just gotten stabbed and it's pearl necklace stolen.

"But fuck it; let's make it official."

And then Sang Hallelujah to the high heavens.

* * *

 **Yassss finallyyyyy. R &R, I accept constructive criticism but no flames plz.**


	14. Kido Tsumiki

**And ANOTHER**

* * *

Chapter 13: Kido Tsumiki

Here I was, currently sitting at my _boyfriend's_ dining table while he cooked us breakfast. The word boyfriend made me smile as I watched Sasuke standing at the stove, oblivious to my giddiness. I took a sip of tea to hide my expression in case he turned around and saw me grinning at him like an idiot for no reason.

But it wasn't for no reason! Because we were officially _together_. No more tiptoeing around the subject or worrying about boundaries that only a girlfriend got to do. It felt wonderful, just like last night.

"Food's ready." Sasuke announced, but there was no need since he brought two plates over and set one if front of me. Breakfast was simple, eggs and toast, but I was so appreciative that he'd been thoughtful enough to make anything for me instead of kicking me out right away.

"Thanks." I replied sweetly and dug in as he took a long drag of his coffee. Sasuke was, surprisingly, not a morning person. He wasn't someone who looked perfect when he just woke up. When we'd gotten up both of our hair had been equally messy, and I could see small bags under his eyes and a hazy shine. It was relieving (made me feel less self conscious about waking up looking like a monster). He looked like a normal attractive guy who hated mornings, which was sexy.

We ate quietly, with a little small talk here and there but nothing to engaging. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was casual and peaceful. ' _Finally.'_ Things were going in a good direction.

I finished my plate as a buzzing noise erupted from the kitchen where Sasuke's phone was plugged in. He sighed; I'm sure being a cop wasn't a monday through friday, nine to five job. He was called when he was needed. Sasuke stood up kindly collected my plate with his to put in the sink before he answered his phone.

"Hello?...oh...No, I can do it….yeah….alright. Be there soon." He slapped his phone onto the marbled counter with a little too much force. What was the call about? Sasuke turned around to lean on the counter and swiped his hand against his chin. He was clearly agitated; something must have happened.

I stood up quickly, pulling at the ends of the t-shirt Sasuke had given me to wear. I wanted to smile fondly that he'd offered it to me since I'd been too afraid to ask (since it was presumptuous), but it didn't seem appropriate to grin at the moment when he was so serious.

Moving to collect my things and get out of his hair, I got out of my chair and started heading towards the stairs. "I can grab my stuff and head out." I told him as I passed by him in the kitchen. Sasuke didn't respond right away, instead he reached out and softly grabbed my arm. I stopped what I was doing, turning to regard him with a tilted head. ' _Why'd he stop me?'_

"Actually, we're both needed."

* * *

Kido Tsumiki was the name of the cultist who had came into the hospital to…? Well, for reasons I didn't really know. I was currently walking through the police station to find out that 'why',and offer any information that I might know in conjunction. ' _Like I could understand what these people want with me.'_ People who joined cults weren't always bad. In fact, most often they were lost souls who'd been roped in by one manipulative leader. But that didn't make them less dangerous, and the web page I'd found talking about the cult following some demon made it even worse. But the only thing I could offer the police was the stuff I'd seen online, things that new policemen and interns had probably already been forced to research.

Looking down at Sasuke's hand, I felt the urge to grab on and squeeze it. Sasuke was walking close enough, leading me toward the interrogation rooms, but I didn't reach out and neither did he. This was on the job cop Sasuke, serious and professional. Right now I couldn't reach out to him for comfort, I needed to handle myself.

Sasuke opened a plain, off-grey door and I took on long breath before stepping inside.

The room was dark with a single paneled window, spanning the top half of the wall facing a bare room with only two metal chairs and a table. I walked forward cautiously, but still hung back after Sasuke placed himself up front with a group of other officers. Floating behind him, trying to stay close, I peeked over his shoulder into the other room. If that was the interrogation room, then what was this room?

I voiced my concerns to Sasuke.

"A watching room," He replied quietly since the room was full of hushed voices. "It's designed to protect any onlookers from the one being interrogated in case they are released."

In my panic I reached other and clutched his sleeve. "Is he going to be released?" I asked quickly.

Sasuke didn't answer right away. "We can't hold him for much longer without some sort of confession. We were able to hold him longer than 24 hours because of suspicion of serious crimes involved such as drug dealing and murder, but there's no evidence. We're approaching the limit of 96 hours and if we don't get anything today, either from the search warrant for his apartment or something he says, then we have to let him go."

My lungs constricted, resisting the urge to tuck my head between my knees and hyperventilate. ' _They might let him go.'_

"But he came after me in the hospital." I argued weakly, knowing it wouldn't do anything but wanting to try.

"I know." Sasuke replied softly, turning his charcoal eyes on me. He felt the same I did. "But even then the most the law can do is a restraining order and misdemeanor. Even then, we can't make him follow it." Those soft eyes hardened, and he leaned in to whisper, "but I'll make sure he doesn't get near you."

His closeness pulled me in like polarity, but he'd pulled away before I could react. I wanted to be angry and press him more to keep Kido behind bars, but Sasuke was just as frustrated as I was. Without any real evidence support that Kido was the one stalking me and had killed that girl, nothing could be done. I understood why the laws were like that, it protected tons of innocent people wrongly accused, but that didn't mean the law made it difficult to convict dangerous parties before they did more damage.

Another urge to hyperventilate came and passed.

Remembering that I was still holding onto Sasuke's sleeve, which was inappropriate, I pulled my hand away like it'd been burned. I didn't want Sasuke to get in trouble because of our relationship; working at the hospital made me understand the importance of locking personal feelings away while on duty.

That didn't stop me from wishing Sasuke would reach back to touch my arm.

All voices in the room lulled as the door to the interrogation room opened. I held my breath as Sasuke's captain, Kakashi, walked in with two officers holding onto Kido Tsumiki behind them. He was cuffed but he didn't look deflated like most people being accused of malicious crimes; instead he had a pleased look in his eyes and an intrigued smile. Bile rose in my stomach. A piece of me hoped he was suffering here, but apparently that wasn't the case.

The spectator room became stale and tense with anticipation. No breaths were taken as Kakashi took his seat opposite to the cultist in question. I was on the tips of my toes, now somehow next to Sasuke and in full view of the scene in front of us. Kakashi sat down in the metal chair, dragging it back with a large screech against the concrete floor. The two guards allowed Kido to sit himself down quietly before leaning back on the wall. Each one rested against a side of the door, blocking the only way out, but Kido didn't mind. He was all too comfortable, lounging back into an uncomfortable chair with legs in a 4-figure position and arms loosely crossed. Kakashi leaned onto the table and crossed his hands with an amused brow raise.

' _Kakashi's trying to intimidate him without causing him to retreat.'_ I realized, reading into the captain's body language. It was hard not to when my senses were hyper aware of every little thing inside that room.

True to my observations, Kakashi offered a smile with hidden intentions.

"Kido Tsumiki, is that correct?"

Kido nodded, not bothering to vocally answer. It didn't phase Kakashi.

"Do you know why your in here?"

"No, I was just getting a checkup." Kido replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Really?" Kakashi said with feigned surprise. He nodded, then reached into a file and pulled a sheet out. From my angle all I could see was that it was a picture of something with a bright yellow triangle with a number 2, like the ones I'd seen at both crime scenes. "That's weird, because you seemed to know a lot about this ring that was sent to Dr. Haruno's home off a dead woman's finger."

Kido peeked at the picture but didn't move from his spot. He said nothing so Kakashi continued on.

"What's the ring for?"

"Looks like a gift; an expensive gift."

My fists clenched till I couldn't feel my nails digging into my palms. ' _He's acting like it's all a joke.'_

"It does. Did you buy it or someone else in your gang chip in?"

A slow smile grew on Kido's face. "I didn't buy it; it's a traditional ring that's been passed down for quite some time."

"Interesting, cause it looks exactly like the sacrificial lamb's ring."

Suprise etched onto Kido's face but he smoothed it back quickly. Too late though, Kakashi had seen the small change. Kakashi pulled out another picture of the same ring, but this time it was clean and inside a very old velvet box and some writing along the bottom of the page. My assumption was right; they did their own research and came to the same conclusions I did.

"Did Hidan give you this?"

Kido's attention snapped up to Kakashi's face, the sudden action catching me off guard. He'd been so cool and collected, but as soon as Kakashi had mentioned Hidan an angry look had crossed his face. Kakashi noticed this as well and penetrated the weakness.

"Did your boss send this to Dr. Haruno?"

Kido began to snarl, but recomposed himself after remembering where he was. His back straightened in his seat and he reflected Kakashi's seated pose.

"No; he doesn't run everything." Kido answered curtly.

"But he is your boss though?" Kakashi challenged, catching Kido's attempt at deflecting. Kido took a deep breath. Something about Hidan struck a chord within him and Kakashi was using that to his advantage.

"No."

"So you don't run drugs for him from time to time?"

"I'm more important in our clan than simply running _errands_."

Kido was letting his pride get the best of him. He stopped noticing his mistake, then glared at the satisfied look on Kakashi's face. Just like a cat cornering a mouse. ' _But it looks like he's hoping more for a rat.'_

Kakashi continued to ask questions on the gang angle, pointing out specific drug events or cover ups. Kido played along, but he was slowly divulging more and more needing to prove his stature in the underground world. I noticed that they'd derailed off the subject of the cult or stalking me. ' _Because if they can there gonna take down the big dogs by feeding the puppies biscuits.'_

And in this situation the big mad dog was Hidan, and I was a small fish in the pond of criminal acts this guy was involved in.

"Alright then," Kakashi's sharp voice caused my to lose my train of thought and I focused in on the conversation again. "If you're so important, why are you running little errands for Hidan like following Haruno around? Seems like little potatoes." Kakshi asked, knowing that every time he mentioned 'Hidan' it rattled Kido's cage.

Kido frowned. "Because I'm the one that found her."

This time Kakashi frowned, recoiling from the table.

"What?"

Kido leaned forward with a sneer. " That's right. _I'm_ the one that found her on the tapes. I saw that innocent, pretty pink head and picked her. She was perfect. _I'm_ the one that decided she'd be the next maiden. Everybody praises that man like he's a god but he's on his way out the door. It was all _me_."

Disbelief crossed everyone's faces, including Kakashi. ' _He took the bait.'_

"If your the mastermind then why risk personally seeing her at the hospital?"

Kido gave a bilious smile, eyes zeroing into Kakashi's, and replied, "Because I wanted her to see what her future held."

My hand flew to my mouth as Sasuke, forgetting about professionalism, wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me out of the room.

* * *

If I thought i was a small fish the police had in order to take down some of the drug problem in Konoha, then they'd just caught a whopping mackerel. While it wasn't the kingpin (like Kido suggested he was), they now had enough ammo to further investigate other crimes they didn't have before. Kido, after his confession, had admitted to several other things besides stalking me for 'religious conquests'. He needed validation to show how valuable he was, or more like how he _had been_ valuable. Kido was arrogant and wanted credit for his reputation. Kakashi promised that with a little more prodding, they would get names easily.

"Once a can of soup is opened you can't just close it again." Kakashi had told us. He was a monotone guy, but I picked up the small rise in his tone. He was excited that they were finally getting somewhere besides small drug dealers.

Afterwards I was led into Kakashi's office with Sasuke not too far behind guarding the door. He asked me some questions, and I answered as best as I could. He then informed me of his big news.

"We'll keep patrol on you for a couple more days, but with Kido detained and his admittance to being behind your stalking, you should be able to go back to your life. Thank you for your help Sakura."

I should've been excited. I wasn't. They're were little prickles running up my legs and reaching into my throat, making it dry. It didn't feel right at all. Which was weird because kido had said he'd been the one pulling the strings. Everything should be okay now right?

…

Right?

* * *

 **Ohhh, things appear to be winding down...but are they?**

 **R &R. I accept constructive criticism, but no flames plz.**


	15. Sunny Trails

**Hey guys sorry this took a little longer than expected. Weekends have been especially busy. As always, I hope you guys are still reading and enjoying!**

 **Plz R &R. No flames please just constructive criticism.**

* * *

TBT Chapter 14: Sunny Trails

"Something bothering you?" Sasuke asked, reaching for my hand across the table.

We were out at a popular sushi restaurant, one that we both really liked, but I wasn't in a celebratory mood. I picked at an untouched plate of delicious sushi with my chopsticks. Swallowing, I could still feel the prickling of unease in the back of my throat, although it had dulled since last week when the KPD officially arrested Kido Tsumiki.

"Why do you think that?" I asked, deflecting.

Sasuke looked unimpressed. The deflecting tactic hadn't worked; rarely ever did when it came to him.

"Because you're not eating, and sometimes you eat more than I do." He teased. A resistant smile twitched at the corner of my lips and I playfully smacked his hand. Then, cradled it and sighed.

"Something just feels...off. I know we're supposed to be celebrating the case closing, but it doesn't feel like it's over."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose, eyes flashing with concern.

"Has something happened? Has someone showed up at your apartment when I'm not there?" He quickly worked himself up, the one thing that riled up the ever-calm Sasuke was the thought of me in danger, but I calmed him down.

"No, no none of that." I assured. "I just...I don't know. You really think Kido was the one behind it all?"

He gazed into my eyes, searching for something. Sasuke sighed.

"You still think it was Hidan who was sending you that stuff because of that website you found?" He asked. I'd told him about the ritual website after the Kido's interrogation I'd sat in on. Now that I knew the cops had unearthed similar information I had informed them everything. It didn't make me feel better like I thought it would. For some reason hearing it from a more secure, second source made the maiden's ritual feel so much more credible and real. ' _They really did plan to kidnap me...hurt me... '_

Kakashi had tried to calm me down, saying "now that we have Kido, his followers will be too scared to come after you. He's given us enough names for us to bring in a copious amount of members that they won't be able to try anything if they wanted."

"Not just because of the website…" I said pensively, rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb. He flipped our hands over so that his was on top and pressed his thumb into my palm.

There was still another issue.

"Sakura, there's no evidence that Hidan was involved with Kido's stalking. Kido went rogue,a small time guy trying to force himself into an important role. We see it all the time. Even if Hidan knew about it, the police are working on arresting him too, and now with the information Kido spilled it's only a matter of time."

Sasuke was a cop on the track to becoming a detective; he knew what he was talking about and this comforted me. Hopefully with time the paranoia would go away. I gave his larger hand a reassuring squeeze that I was feeling better and let go. Grabbing my chopsticks, I plucked a roll off my plate and popped it into my mouth. Even though the tiger roll was my favorite, the flavor barely hit my palate as I gave Sasuke an awkward smile.

* * *

I still did a double take at stranger's on the streets, but the feeling of being watched slowly went away after a week. Sasuke and I hung out and went on regular dates, Ino and I spent lunch together at work, and I started working out again. (Around this time, I finally started texting Naruto back, guilt making me promise to hang out with him soon).

I told myself to start easy; run more than a mile, but less than two miles, and then a home workout of 15 minutes HIIT training. My mood had improved so much that I even started planning home cooked meals, which was hard when Sasuke always to charge and cooked for me. I wanted to learn, but I wasn't going to say no to someone wanting to cook for me. My strong point wasn't cooking; it was eating.

Surprisingly doing well for not regularly running since Kido started stalking me, I didn't start breathing heavy until I'd already gotten past my first mile. ' _Maybe I'll run a little bit longer than I planned.'_ I contemplated. I pushed harder; maybe I just needed to pick it up and then stop at the 1.5 mile mark. The clinking of my pepper spray keychain hooked to my bra strap was distracting but taking it off wasn't an option. It was the only reason I had the courage to run on my own again.

I didn't make it more than a quarter mile further, chest heaving, when I spotted rustling in a bush not too far from the trail I was on. I hit a dead stop. Frozen solid, I stood there for a good minute waiting to see or hear any more rustling or whatever was in the bushes. After a few minutes of silence, I decided it was nothing. Probably a deer or woodland animal. ' _I think I'll start heading back tho…this part of the trail is the only piece that has semi thick foliage around the perimeter. It's making me uncomfortable.'_ I'd only jogged back 10 feet when I heard it. The sound of a camera going off. I whirled back around, eyes wide as saucers, just in time to catch a glare, like the reflection of a lens. I looked closer; the tiniest hint of dark blue peeked out. The bush started rustling again but nothing emerged.

My body hit full alert. I stopped immediately, reaching shakily for my pepper spray. I took a deep breath, then decided I was going to rush the bush head on and catch whoever by surprise with pepper spray. ' _Kick him while he's down then create distance. Once I'm far enough away I'll call Sasuke.'_

With renewed adrenaline, I sprinted to the bush while holding my pepper spray out in front of me like a battle weapon. A cry ripped out of my throat as I haphazardly spritzed the whole bush, mulling through it like godzilla. I pulled the last of the branches away to see-

A jacket...hanging off a branch.

I blinked, then whipped my head around.

"Hello?" I yelled loudly.

There was no one around, at least, not that I could hear or see. Most of my view was plains, and I'd marched through most of the forested piece of the trail. I didn't see anyone running away and didn't hear any heavy footsteps or branches snapping.

I stood there in the middle of the bushes dumbly.

' _Someone was just here.'_

I wasn't crazy; maybe paranoia was still lurking through my bones and it'd re-emerged today. But that didn't feel right either.

I went straight home, got in comfy clothes, and forgot about the rest of my workout. I wasn't in the mood anymore.

* * *

I'd gotten so used to having Sasuke constantly around that I had to remind myself that when I got home he wasn't going to be there with me. It was lonely without him, but thankfully now that we were dating, Sasuke still came around to genuinely spend time with me. Since the party at his house, he'd opened the option of staying over at his place and I absolutely loved it. He had a beautiful home with typical male luxuries but I liked it. It felt more homey than my apartment; I'd thought about getting a cute little house near the hospital but I was so picky and didn't think it was worth it till I had someone to share it with..

' _I could live here.'_ I thought while knocking on Sasuke's front door. It was way too early to think like that, but it was true.

Sasuke opened the door in a plain tee and sweatpants. He pulled me in close and I breathed him in. Just holding him was starting to feel like a sanctuary. We exchanged a hello kiss before walking into his living room. We spent our time like most couples did; watching TV and cuddling. Sasuke had made it his mission to make me watch all the great cult movies he liked. I didn't mind, I just liked spending time with him.

My thoughts turned to yesterday's run as he started the movie; there had been someone in the bushes. Whether they were there to watch me or if I'd caught them trying to pee, I knew I wasn't crazy. Whoever had been in those bushes had probably been embarrassed by getting caught and ran off. ' _That doesn't explain the flash, or the click of a camera.'_

Studying Sasuke's face, I debated telling him about the experience… but maybe it was best not to tell him and forget about it. I'd only worry him when there was no evidence of anything to worry about. He looked over at me, then smirked when he noticed me staring. I blushed and glued my eyes to the screen.

Rough fingers swiped against my chin, turning my head back to face him and look into his half-lidded eyes. I felt my own eyes flutter close as he closed the gap and kissed me. I loved his kisses. It was one of the few things that Sasuke allowed himself to be vulnerable and soft. Except now, as the intensity between us raised with each kiss. Soon enough we were in an intense make out session, and Sasuke's fingers were floating between my clavicle and chest.

Sasuke abruptly broke the makeout session, and I missed his heat as soon as it was gone. My eyes popped open in question. "Upstairs," He said in a throaty voice, and I knew exactly what he wanted. I practically raced up the stairs in excitement. He was determined to culture me with movies, but how could that happen when we rarely made it halfway through the movie?

I giggled as I turned around at the top of the steps, Sasuke's mouth cutting it off with a searing lip-lock. He lifted me off the ground and carried me into the bedroom. He set me down long enough for us to rip our tops off. It was my favorite part as I drank in the sight of Sasuke. He always took my breath away.

"You're beautiful." I breathed without thinking. Sasuke guffawed at me, and I'm sure I had a similar shocked expression on my face. "I didn't mean to say that out loud." I admitted bashfully.

Sasuke laughed. A whole-hearted laugh that sounded wonderful.

' _Oh I'm such a goner. So deep in love.'_

He encircled me in his arms. "You're the beautiful one." He said, and pushed on my shoulders lightly until I plopped onto the bed. Sasuke fell on top of me, using his elbows to hover and keep from squishing me. I hurriedly leaned up and kissed him again.

' _I need to be more careful, otherwise I'll say it too soon…'_

I gasped as a sneaky hand made it's way passed my shorts and underwear. Digging my fingers into his shoulder blades, I kissed him harder. My fingers dragged up and down his back, occasionally scraping lightly.

I used to think Sasuke was a stone cold fox, and while I did think he had looks that would rival the greek gods, I'd recently discovered that his expressions were not made of stone. He had the smallest of tells that you had to know to look for and incredibly difficult to pinpoint, but they were there. The small growl humming in the back of his throat clued me in that I was doing something right, so I kept running my hands over the scope of his back.

Pressure pushed against my thigh.

* * *

 _'Perhaps it's time to find a new trail to run on. Or run on the treadmill at the gym where there's cameras.'_ I wondered as I sat in my car in my workout clothes, staring down the trail's sign "Sunny Trails". I snorted at the name. It sounded so innocent and safe.

The sign was mocking me.

I blew out a gush of air I'd been holding onto and got out of my vehicle. I could do this; I wouldn't let my paranoia beat me. Stretching, determination leaked through my pores. I broke out into an easy pace without a second thought. The run was going terrific again, maybe because of the intense focus, but once I hit that spot it all fell apart. Shortness of breath and caused my legs to strain. My feet were screaming at me to stop. Eyes glued to the bushes, I reminded myself that there was no one there and that I should head back. Yet...I knew what was keeping me there. ' _They say curiosity killed the cat, I shouldn't let it kill me.'_

But that nefarious urge…

I walked forward until I was at the trail's edge, feeling scratchy leaves brushing against my shins. One moment I was looking at the trees, then the next one I was digging through the branches. Was the jacket still here? It was. I hesitated; if I touched it I could be tampering with evidence.

 _'There's been no crime, it's just a jacket.'_

I convinced myself to snatch it up and look at it. It was a regular zip up hoodie. Nothing special about it. I turned it around, trying to ease my mind that I wasn't gonna find anything. That I'd been wrong about being followed-

Something fell out of the pocket. The protector cap for a camera.

* * *

 **Welp, that's chapter 14. Just to let you know I probably will update the chapter and add some _citrusy(lemon/lime)_ in the future. It was just taking so long and I wanted to get this out. Let me know how you liked it! Thanks for sticking around it.**


	16. With a Tap on the Screen

**Hello all! I'm trying to post these quicker since I've been sitting on them for so long. Inspiration is so random. I try to tell myself to write everyday but if I'm not feeling it then it doesn't feel genuine ya know? Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

 **R &R plz! Constructive criticism accepted but no flames please.**

 **TBT Chapter 15: With a Tap on the Screen**

* * *

I swallowed down what I'd found at the park until Saturday morning, while doing 'youtube yoga' (what we named our fake yoga sessions at Ino's place). It all came bubbling out while Ino and I were in the downward dog position, unable to keep it to myself anymore. I needed to hear someone else's opinion about the jacket and the camera lense I'd found in a bush where I _thought_ someone was taking pictures of me. Normally I could logically think things through myself but this was a compromising situation that I couldn't rationalize.

Ino did just that, but of course she had to do it her own way. She flopped up like a seal, breaking her zen and staring at me wide eyed. "You think someone's still following you?"

"I don't know." I told her, sitting on my bum and crossing my legs to face her. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Ino mirrored my position, squinting her eyes and putting a finger to her chin. I paused our 'yoga for beginners' video and folded my hands in my lap, pensively waiting. Ino tapped her bottom lip a couple times, then sighed. "Have you talked to Sasuke about it?"

Making a sour face, I admitted, "No. I don't want to tell him if it's nothing."

Ino nodded. Then tapped her lip once more while making a humming sound. "Hmmm. I don't think you should read too far into it. That trail is popular with instagramers and nature photographers." A deep breath that I didn't know I was holding let out.

"I do see a lot of colorful birds and animals while out running. Maybe I caught some photographer in the middle of a photo-op or wiz." I said in agreement. ' _I am thinking too much into it.'_

"That doesn't mean some pervert wasn't trying to take pictures of your ass."

I rolled my eyes. ' _Of course that's where her mind goes.'_

"Well if he was, I sure as hell scared him off. Chances are he won't be back."

"Hey, you wanna hang and veg out tonight? I feel like lately I've been too...healthy. I need junk food." Ino asked.

I laughed and got up from my mat; no point in continuing our stretches since the focus was gone.

"I'd like to, but Sasuke's having another get together tonight and I really wanna be there."

"Ooooo," Ino wiggled her eyebrows, "showing off the official ball and chain? Good on you girl, show those other women that he's taken."

"That's not the reason," I defended, rolling and squeezing my mat into a tube. I struggled to get the band over and hold the mat together. Ino gave me a knowing stare and I grunted, still battling with my piece of green styrofoam that might as well be a wet noodle right now. The defying mat flew out of my hands, unrolling and laying out on the floor. I sighed. Ino smirked.

"Okay, maybe it's one of the reasons."

* * *

After our yoga session I was in a good mood, so I thought I'd go to a popular cafe chain for some Chai and a buttery treat. I hadn't gone back to chocolatte since the incident in the alley, so I'd been shopping around for a new place to give me overpriced chai. So far I hadn't found any little gems like it. But going back to chocolatte wasn't an option, so I wasn't going to give up looking.

I walked in, the ding at the door alerting everyone in the place of my presence. I absentmindedly walked up to the counter and placed my order. In no hurry, I sat down in a lounge chair while scrolling through the internet on my phone. I had a text from Naruto.

 _Gonna be in town this week and I want to see you._

 _-Naruto_

We'd gone back to our regular text conversations but they weren't the same. Naruto only knew that I was possibly seeing someone, but I refused to tell him anymore details beyond that. Something in my heart told me not to tell him about Sasuke yet. ' _I'll talk to him about it in person when I see him this week.'_ I promised.

 _Sound's great! We'll have to catch up._

I replied with a smile on my face. Being able to be honest with Naruto felt like a load coming off my shoulders. I just had to bear it a little longer.

"Ms. Haruno?"

Looking up from the screen, my eyes landed on a silver haired man in jeans and a forest green blazer with a black shirt underneath. It took a moment to recognize the police captain in regular clothes, but after realizing it was Kakashi I gave a smile and said hello. ' _Cops don't always have to wear their uniform, you already know that dummy.'_ My mind snickered.

"How have you been lately? I hope Sasuke's taking good care of you." Eyes growing wide as saucers, I gaped at the captain. Then I started babbling, unsure if I should dodge the Sasuke topic, try to explain, or cover it up. How much did he know? Kakashi just watched me with an amused gleam.

"It's okay, Sakura. There's nothing wrong with you two dating and I had a feeling Sasuke liked you." He finally said. I sunk back in my seat feeling relieved; it felt like I'd been caught with my hand in the cookie jar..

"Oh. Uh, thanks." I said lamely, unsure of what to say.

"Just let me know if he ever does anything wrong; I'll make him do office work. We both know how much he hates that." He said and winked. I laughed.

The barista called out my name for my order.

Kakashi moved out of my way so I could get up to grab my drink. "Of course, once he gets accepted into the detective training program I won't be able to boss him around as much. I'll miss that."

"What?" I asked, confusion etching my face. I knew he eventually wanted to be a detective, but he hadn't told me he'd applied. Kakashi picked up that he'd said something wrong and apologized.

"No, it's okay. I'm just surprised he didn't tell me." I said quietly.

"Maybe he didn't want to tell you until he knew for sure he got in." Kakashi offered. I verbally agreed. That sounded like something Sasuke would do, and once it became important to him he would tell me.

* * *

This time I did choose the black top before going over to Sasuke's around five. It was looser fitting than the pink one, but not by a lot, and had a v-neck line. Pretty simple, and I paired it with some dark wash jeans and converse. The slight chill of the air reminded me that it was getting close to fall and to bring a light jacket. Sasuke told me most people weren't heading over until later, but didn't mind if I came early. I was hoping to have some quality time with him beforehand.

But as I pulled up and parked behind 3 cars I realized that wouldn't happen. I didn't linger on the disappointment, just happy knowing he was comfortable enough with me to hang out with his friends. This time I knew the right way to go around back, and texted Sasuke letting him know I arrived before opening the back gate.

There was a guy I faintly recognized but didn't know his name manning a gas grill, along with a couple more people scattered about in lawn and camping chairs. Sasuke was among a small group of people, Suigetsu grinning at me, and Sasuke got up to give me a hug as I approached. I hesitated in his arms, waiting for a kiss, but instead he sat back down and patted the empty chair next to him.

' _I shouldn't push him too much on the PDA just because of my carnal urges to claim him in front of other females.'_ I told myself, and smiled as I took my spot next to him. Not being one for conversation, I sat there listening and occasionally spacing out as they spoke. So many things ran through my mind: the guy in the bush, the lense cap, Naruto, what kakashi said about detective school. But, none of those things were dangerous and I was okay with that.

After sitting there a while and looking around I noticed Karen wasn't here. I felt satisfaction in my gut. ' _Good.'_ I never expected to have such strong feelings for Sasuke, but once they came they hit you at full force. They were so intense and it wasn't always warm and fuzzy. After thinking about it later I'd felt so silly getting jealous over Sasuke talking to Karen, but I couldn't help myself. It consumed me. That's what Sasuke did; just consumed my mind, my heart, my soul.

I dropped the cup of water I'd been holding.

' _Oh my gosh. I'm in love.'_

"Sakura?" A voice brought me out of my shock. I blinked, then noticed Sasuke looking at me in concern.

"Hm?" I hummed, still a little cloudy.

"Are you okay? You spilled your drink."

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I wasn't paying attention and it just slipped." I lied. ' _How embarrassing.'_

Sasuke's right eyebrow cocked further, but he let it go. "I'll get you another."

"Oh, you don't have to."

"Nah, it's okay. Stay here."

I smiled at his retreating form.

"Awww how sweet, he's already whipped." I glared at Suigetsu for his misogynistic comment; he just smiled back.

Sasuke returned not a minute later. I thanked him for the new drink as he took his spot next to me like it was a typical Saturday thing to do. Sasuke had become an integral part of my life and improved it drastically. My life before felt boring at times, but looking at Sasuke now made me realize that there'd been a hole. It felt right that he filled it.

Sasuke squeezed my hand, glancing at me. After seeing the look on my face(probably this goofy hearts-in-eyes-look), he gives me his own smile. My heart warmed. He leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek.

 _Click!_

The flash of a camera went off and I almost jumped out of my seat with flashbacks from my running experience earlier in the week. My pepper spray sat comfortably in my satchel, just in case, but it was only Suigetsu taking a picture of our sweet moment.

"That's too cute, let's see if the internet feels the same." He chided, pressing a couple buttons on his phone.

I sat back to see if Sasuke would argue about a picture of us being exposed to the world. He said nothing, going back to his beer. It made me happy. We were starting to really feel like a couple, and I could trust that Sasuke was taking our relationship seriously.

* * *

The next morning I woke up early to sunshine and soft blue sheets that smelled like pine. ' _My sheets just smell like cotton.'_ Sasuke had his back facing me, and I moved closer to wrap my right arm around him. Smiling against his shoulder blade, I left a small kiss and snuggled closer. This moment couldn't get better.

 **BANG BANG BANG**

Sasuke, who'd just been in a dead sleep, jumped out of bed fully alert. I yelped, tugging the sheets around me to protect from the morning breeze. Hurrying over to the windows, I tried to peak onto the deck. I couldn't see anyone because of the roof on the deck, and I didn't have a good angle of the road to see any cars.

"Is someone at the front door?" I asked. Sasuke, reaching for his pants, replied, "Sounds like it." Then he murmured, "don't know who the fuck it could be…"

Another barrage of loud knocking sounded from the door and I gripped the sheets closer, putting on my sleep shirt and some shorts. Sasuke was out the door in a flash and I wasn't to far behind him. ' _What if it's Kido's cult? Oh no….'_ I grabbed onto Sasuke's hand before he could make it down the steps and pulled him back.

"Wait! What if it's someone dangerous?" I asked him. He gave my hand a quick squeeze.

"Someone looking to hurt us wouldn't be loud and wake us up." Sasuke did a quick look around, then let me go. "But just in case, stay up here."

"But-"

"Sakura." His tone deepened an octave lower. The protector in him came out subtly but full force. It made me stop in my tracks momentarily as he took the steps two at a time. After he was out of sight I came to the halfway point down the steps. There I had a decent view as I peeked behind the wall where the stairs turned direction towards the door.

Sasuke was trying to peek through one of the small windows next to the front door. I heard him say, "What the fuck.." as he put the curtain back in place and proceeded to open the door.

I didn't even have time to register why before a sucker punch hit Sasuke in the jaw.

* * *

Well well well...who could it be? hmmm...XD


	17. The Reason

**Hello all! I just wanna say I really appreciate the overwhelming support I've gotten to continue my writing/stories. I've noticed that sadly less Sasusaku stuff is being updated or new coming. I didn't wanna be one of those people! I will finish this and I can confidently say that now. The climax and end is so close now...**

 **Also, I've been getting a lot of comments to update Hydrangea. I was honestly trying finish this one (since this is where most of my inspiration has been) and then finish hydrangea since it's gonna be longer. But I've been reinspired and will update a new chapter as soon as I can!**

 **Once again, thanks for all the support!**

 **R &R plz, constructive criticism is ok but no flames.**

* * *

TBT 16: The Reason

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod."

I rushed down the steps, not sure what I was going to do. Leaving the blanket in a swoosh, I huddled into the small foyer where Sasuke was adjusting his jaw before the blur from the door jumped on him. Sasuke, obviously trained in self defense, took the attacker to the ground with ease but didn't hit him.

Sasuke took a another hit to the shoulder and swore.

"What the fuck man?" Sasuke yelled, struggling to hold his friend at bay without hurting him.

My hand flew to my mouth in shock, one word escaping. " _Naruto?!_ "

My usually goofy, happy friend was red with anger and swinging whatever he could at my courageous lover. Sasuke seemed just as baffled as I was, letting Naruto up enough to get pushed back. I noticed with rising alarm that Naruto was getting the upper hand in the brawl; Sasuke refused to fight back.

"Get off him!" I shouted, hoping to jar Naruto from his fury. ' _Why is he so angry?!'_

Naruto ignored my pleas and proceeded to go after Sasuke as Sasuke held him back with his legs. Then Naruto started yelling. "I told you to stay away from her! And for the second time I find out you're _sleeping_ together."

My mouth dropped.

Sasuke didn't say anything, but a grim line marred Sasuke's lips. I moved closer to grab onto Naruto's shoulders and get him off, but Sasuke held my eyes and put a palm up telling me to stay put. I paused. Sasuke seemed calm, perhaps a little irritated but not angry.

' _He's waiting till he gets burnt out. Get the adrenaline and anger out of his system.'_

Respecting Sasuke's wishes, I could only meekly gaze at the two friends on the ground from my spot by the stairs. Naruto started panting and his swings got slower. With a final puff, he attempted his last jab and stopped. Sasuke threw him off and for a second I thought he was going to take his opportunity to get a couple hits in. He didn't; instead he stayed seated on the ground, sighing and running his hands through his hair. A trait that I learned meant he was frustrated.

I took careful steps closer, but didn't know what to say. ' _What did Naruto mean by "I told you to stay away from her"?'_ How did Naruto even know about us in the first place?

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you." Sasuke seethed. Naruto only glared back.

"If you didn't want me to know then maybe you shouldn't let people plaster it all over facebook." He shot back, and then it hit me. Suigetsu's picture of Sasuke kissing my cheek; Naruto had seen it and that's how he found out. I still didn't understand what warranted him being angry at _Sasuke_ enough to come to his door and practically knock it off its hinges.

" _I told you to stay away from her."_

I never told Naruto about my one night fling with Sasuke five years ago; who I was with intimately wasn't his business. Ino, as much of a blabbermouth as she was, wouldn't tell Naruto. For one, she wouldn't go out of her way to talk to him. And two, I'd specifically told her not to tell him. At the time he still had a mountainous crush on me and it was information that would only hurt him. Why upset a friend when it was unnecessary?

Then I looked at the two best friends on the ground. ' _Did Sasuke tell him?'_

It was very possible that Sasuke had talked to Naruto after. They were so close, and I'm sure there was some kind of bro code that prompted Sasuke to say something for sleeping with one friend's friend/crush. ' _Or bragging…but Sasuke wouldn't do that. Would he?'_ Uncertainty peeking it's weary head, I slammed it back down into the hole it came out of. Sasuke was my boyfriend now; I could trust him. But he wasn't back then. I had a hard time believing he'd brag in Naruto's face though. He would've had more allegiance to Naruto; maybe he felt like he needed to.

What would that conversation would be like? What did Naruto say to him? My eyes widened.

' _Could that be why Sasuke never talked to me again after that party?'_

* * *

 _Flashback. Five years ago, Konoha University_

" _Come on man, will you at least acknowledge me?" Sasuke asked, fast walking to catch up to Naruto. He'd been avoiding Sasuke since the day after the party. The first time he'd seen Naruto was their first day back at Konoha U. He knew Naruto'd be upset, and jealous, of him sleeping with Sakura but he didn't think it would be this bad._

 _Naruto stopped on the sidewalk, glancing around to see if anyone was around. Naruto hadn't woken up when the alarm went off and was already late to class, so they were alone. Sasuke didn't have class until 9:00 am but knew he could catch Naruto walking to class. He had complained about his 7:45 am writing class all summer. "What for?" Naruto refuted, not bothering to look at his dark-haired friend._

" _We're friends." Sasuke replied simply. "It's the only reason I went out of my way to tell you about Sakura and me."_

" _Oh yeah. A_ _nd that's why I told you to fuck off when you asked for her number. I really like her Sasuke. You knew that, and you still went after her."_

 _Sasuke frowned and glared. Didn't he get it yet?_

" _She'd not into you and made it pretty damn clear. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I liked her too? And that I didn't make a move on her sooner so I didn't get in your way?"_

" _No." Naruto retorted without skipping a beat, "Like her? You don't know her, Sasuke. All you care about is one thing." Naruto pulled up one finger and shoved it into his best friends, whom he considered a brother at one point, face. Sasuke slapped his hand away._

" _That's not fair." Sasuke argued._

" _How is that not fair? You don't date, or whatever you call it, a girl longer than a week. Obviously not for their personalities. And when you do it's because your fucking around with her friends too." Naruto replied, venom at the tip of his tongue._

 _Sasuke couldn't dispute it; up to this point it had been true. But he thought Naruto and him were on the same page; Naruto had been whining in admiration about all how girls hand over Sasuke, just last month. He sighed in defeat. Sakura was important to Naruto; he understood that. And Naruto wasn't wrong, Sasuke hurt a lot of girls when they caught feelings for him. He just never felt the same way. But this time would be different. Or at least that what he kept telling himself, but Sasuke didn't have a good track record as it was. As much as he wanted to argue with his blonde friend, he couldn't confidently say that he_ wouldn't _hurt her._

 _Naruto started to walk again and Sasuke fully intended to let him go before going back to his room for some shut eye before he reflected too harshly on his life. Just skip his 9:00am class._

 _Naruto suddenly stopped, and turned back to him. Regret and guilt shone in his eyes. "Listen, your my best friend. You know that. But Sakura... I want you to stay away from her. Could you do that for me? For her?"_

 _Sasuke took a moment. He was hoping to get Naruto's blessing before he went by the indoor track in the afternoon, where he recently discovered the time track practice was held. He knew Sakura was on the team. This was the first time Naruto had ever truly asked something of Sasuke. He'd never had a problem letting go of a girl before and should've agreed in a heartbeat. Naruto had always been there for him and never asked anything in return. They were as close to brothers as he was to Itachi but without blood. But something made him hesitate. Reluctantly, he nodded._

 _He had to agree; Sakura was better off without him._

 _End Flashback_

* * *

Sakura POV

When I'd asked Sasuke before why he'd never talked to me after 'that night' at his party, he'd simply shrugged it off. Now I was finding out that in reality, Sasuke had covered for Naruto. I guess that he didn't want me to get upset at Naruto for throwing a fit and getting between us. ' _Not that I helped, with running off that morning.'_

I should've been furious, but there was a big part of me that also felt guilty about causing a wedge between two best friends. _'Not to mention that I doubted Sasuke just as much as Naruto back then...'_

Naruto and Sasuke, still sitting on the ground across from each other, noticed me for the first time standing in the foyer. In the heat of the moment, Naruto had spilled their whole argument about me back in college.I was so flooded with emotions that my fists were balled and knuckles turning white, eyes glued to the ground. When I looked up I saw that both of them were watching my reactions closely. Guilt littered their faces. It only justified the betrayal I felt. It flooded me.

"Sakura-" Naruto started, but I wasn't listening.

"I'm...I'm gonna go eat breakfast." I said simply, then stalked off.

I heard the guys scrambling after me, and with anger I slammed the kitchen door behind me.

They left me alone long enough to make toast, but I could hear them angrily whispering to each other behind the kitchen door. I rolled my eyes, smearing peanut butter on the bread and taking my first bite with a crunch. They finally emerged in the room and I stared them down from the island.

They stood side by side, Naruto shifting uncomfortably while Sasuke folded his arms in front of him steeling his composure. I turned my energy onto Naruto. He cowered under the invisible flames of anger radiating off me. Sasuke scurried back out the door.

While I appreciated Naruto wanting to protect me, I didn't need him to do so by scaring off other guys. He wasn't my father, and even though he thought he was acting in my best interests what he had done was selfish. It was childish and possessive, and I normally only associated one of those when it came to Naruto. The other trait made me mad. He was the one that interfered in my love life, and threatened Sasuke with their friendship.

"Sakura-"

"You had no right."

"...I know."

"..."

"That's it?"

Naruto melted onto the table and gave me a puppy dog look. "I'm sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing. And I just got so angry thinking about it after. He just… you guys are different. I didn't want you to get hurt. And Sasuke...he views relationships differently."

"So you thought that you'd take away _my_ choice? And turn on your friend? You weren't thinking of either of us. Your jealousy got the best of you."

"Come on Sakura. I was in shock. I couldn't believe that you just _slept_ with him. And now your sleeping with him again on the down-low? Since when are you that kind of girl."

All conversation stopped. Naruto hadn't meant it, I know he didn't. But I was angry and hurt and it got the best of me. ' _Is he...slut shaming me?'_

"If that's how you feel."

"Wait-"

"Just leave. Don't try to talk to me again."

So many emotions ran through Naruto's eyes. Realization, regret, pain, indecision, anger. His palms pressed into the counter and he looked away, trying to find something to say. But I knew Naruto; he wanted to say something that might be hurtful but didn't want to make the situation worse. Or he wanted to try and get back on my good side but couldn't swallow down what he was feeling.

"Don't come crying to me when he dumps your ass."

He didn't even look at me as he walked out, slamming his palm against the door too hard. I heard Sasuke tear into him as quietly as he could; he no doubt heard what Naruto had said about both of us, but I didn't hear anything from Naruto except the front door closing.

* * *

Sasuke walked into the kitchen to find me face down, forehead pressed against the cool counter and arms folded in front of me. He paused, unsure what to do since emotions wasn't Sasuke's strong point, but he eventually made his way to my side and rubbed my back in soothing circles. I groaned, lifting my head up to message my temples.

How had this happened?

I sat up then slumped back on the seat and into Sasuke's chest. He moved his hands from my back to envelop me in a soft caress.

As much as I wanted to be mad at Sasuke and yell at him like I did with Naruto, I couldn't. I hated being understanding of the choice he had to make. ' _I can't imagine what I'd do if Ino said that to me.'_

"I'm...gonna make some coffee."

Sasuke walked around me and started filling a pot. I could tell that he wasn't sure what to say to make me feel better; he'd rather stay silent and feel it out. I wished he'd at least try.

I fiddled with my fingers as he kept himself busy making coffee and eggs for himself. While I was glancing around the kitchen my eyes landed on a piece of paper that said: "Congratulations!" at the top in big bold letters. My brow furrowed. "What's this?" I asked, reaching for the document. He made no move to stop me, but watched closely. I scanned the contents.

' _He got accepted into the detective training program.'_

I checked the date.

' _This is from two weeks ago.'_

My heart missed a beat.

"Why didn't you tell me you got accepted?"

Sasuke looked at the ground wearily. "Things were hectic."

I eyed him. ' _Is that the real reason or an easy excuse?'_ Being a demanding girlfriend wouldn't get me far. Sasuke was headstrong and I felt that if I was harsh he'd only get angry. Honestly, it wasn't my business to assume who he should or shouldn't tell.

"It's what you wanted isn't it? I'm excited for you. We should be celebrating."

"...I have to move to Suna for a couple of years."

Oh.

Suddenly I wished I didn't see the letter or had ever said anything. My confidence in our relationship waned. This conversation was taking a turn, and I wanted to sprint back the other way. ' _Is he going to break up with me?'_ My throat choked off; I couldn't bear to even ask. All this time I'd been realizing that I loved ( or even be in love) with Sasuke, while he could've been looking for a way to break it off. There's no way he'd want to do a long distance relationship, especially since we'd only been dating maybe a little over a month. There wasn't enough invested to make the stretch, even though I'd walk ten thousand miles just to see him.

Preparing myself, I straightened my back and waited for him to get it over with.

Instead, he walked up and kissed me on the forehead.

"Let's watch tv in bed, it's too early to be up on the weekend."

* * *

 **Interesting, eh?**

 **R &R! Thanks for reading!**


	18. PS I Love You

**Yo! How you guys liking the story so far? I'm both excited and sad to say that it's getting near the end. Like, maybe 5 more chapters. its been a journey and I just want to thank all of you that's been sticking with it! I'm so glad that some people genuinely like what I create (even if it is with Naruto characters lol)**

 **As always let me know what you think. Constructive criticism accepted but no flames please.**

 **Without further to do...**

 **Chapter 17!: P.S. I Love You**

* * *

"Dr. Haruno, I have some reports that Dr. Tsunade would like you to look over."

A male nurse stepped into the room in regular blue scrubs holding a manila folder with some papers sticking out. I didn't recognize him and he didn't have a name tag on, so he must've been a new hire. Knowing that the new atmosphere could be intimidating I gave him a friendly smile.

"Ms. Haruno is fine. I'll take those." I said politely.

The nurse stopped in front of my desk and I leaned over to grab the folder from him. I thanked him, eager to dig in. There hadn't been much to do and I appreciated that these would help me get through the day faster. I flicked the folder open. A shadow cast over the folder, and I glanced at the male nurse. He hadn't moved and his eyes were intently on me. They scanned down my arm to my hand, then back to my face.

"Is there something else?" I chirped, covering the unease starting in my body.

My words snapped the man out his daze, and the smile he gave me felt fake.

"Ah, no. Sorry. Been a long day." The man said, and scurried out of the room.

I stared after his retreating form. Swiftly, I quietly got out of my chair and crept to the door. Peeking out, I noticed the male nurse was already rounding his path into the next hallway. Adrenaline coursed through me; I don't know what came over my feet but they followed him down the hall and around the corner. There he was! He was walking a regular pace now, but he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. He didn't stop to talk to any of the other nurses at the nurse's station. I slowed my pace. I pretended to read a patient report sitting at the nurses station, keeping a distance from the man but making sure he was in my peripherals. I hid in an empty patient room once when I saw him turn his shoulder to glance behind him. Counting to three, I checked to make sure the coast was clear and continued on his trail. The male nurse walked into the cafeteria.

When I opened the cafeteria door I cursed; the place was so packed there was no way I could see where the male nurse went. ' _What am I doing?'_ I pondered, scanning the room for the man. Unfortunately he was average looking and easy to lose in a sea of people.

"Sakura?"

I shrank back into the wall when I heard a high pitched voice behind me. Putting a hand on my chest, I let out a sigh of relief. ' _It's just Ino.'_

"Hey there." I greeted, trying to calm my racing heart.

Ino tilted her head at me, one eye squinting. "Are you ok? Yumi told me you'd came by the nurse station so I thought you were looking for me so we could eat lunch together."

I could hear questions hidden in between the lines of her comment, but I'd already gone back to scanning the room and hoping I hadn't lost the suspicious nurse.

"Yeahhh." I replied, raising in pitch as I went from distracted to focusing on my worried friend. I gave her a cheesy smile.

We got in the lunch line together.

Sitting down at an empty table, I started in on my salad while Ino picked off the tomatoes on hers. I spent my time eating thinking of way to start this conversation without sounding paranoid. "Hey, do you know if there have been any new hires for nurses?" I asked too casually.

Ino scoffed. "You know how big this hospital is? I know there isn't any in my wing, but I see rotating faces in the other levels all the time. Why?"

"Oh, nothing," I rolled a cucumber around on my plate, "I just had this new guy in my office and there was something off about him."

"Off?" Ino reiterated.

"He gave me the weirdest smile. And he gawked at me for a full minute." I explained.

"Soooo. Maybe he thought you were cute?" She guessed, waving her fork in the air.

"No." I deadpanned.

"Confidence woman. You've been blessed with the greatest ass-"

"NO, Ino. That's not what I meant. The look he gave me, it wasn't admiration. It was more like...he was analyzing me." A shiver went up my spine as I told her.

"Maybe he thought you were weird then; just like I think your weird." She retorted offhandedly.

"Chasing him down the hall probably didn't help…" I muttered under my breath.

"You chased him down the hall?!" Ino repeated loudly, leaning on over the table. I shushed her.

"Well, not necessarily. More like...followed him?" I couldn't believe I was saying this. What was up with me lately?

"Geez Sakura. Sounds like your the creepy one." Ino replied.

I let out a long breath. "You're right. I feel stupid."

"Don't feel stupid, you went through some pretty fucked up shit. It takes a while to cope." Ino reasoned, then returned her attention back to her salad.

"Yeah." I agreed. I rubbed my forehead to fight off a headache I felt coming on. ' _But why does that not feel right?'_

"So, when does Sasuke leave for Suna?" Ino asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Ugh, another topic that gave me a headache. "He leaves on the first of September." I informed her. My food didn't look appetizing anymore.

"Wow, that's only two weeks away."

I glowered. "I know."

Honestly, there'd never been a conversation about it between us. Sasuke didn't have to ask permission from me just to further his career. I would never stop him from pursuing his dreams. ' _But it would've been nice for him to say something beforehand, even if his mind was already made up.'_ Maybe he was afraid I'd try to change his mind, but I knew Sasuke was a driven man who went after what he wanted. He thought he was being considerate, or avoiding an argument he thought would happen by bringing it up. How surprised he must've been when I smiled and told him I'd support him through anything? I was proud of him for his accomplishments, but I obviously wasn't too excited that it meant he had to move away.

"How are things between you two? You spend a lot of time at his place."

"Pretty good. Nothing's really changed." Which was true; Sasuke continued on like we'd never had the awkward 'going away' conversation that we didn't really finish. Ino picked up on my somber mood behind my words.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not good?" She asked.

"I don't know. We've gotten more comfortable, but there isn't really growth if that makes sense. It's like I'm enjoying the ride as much as I can before it's over and he dumps me." I admitted.

"Does it feel like he's going to break up with you?" Ino dug further.

"No. But, I don't know, isn't that just how it goes?" I replied, pushing my plate away. Now I really didn't feel like eating.

"If he cares it won't matter." She said optimistically.

"It will." I grumbled, resting my chin on my palm. Relationships were a stretch for Sasuke, and I was happy to be an exception, but long distance? There's no way he'd go for that. Sadness pricked my eyes. I'd grown so attached to Sasuke, but I was already building a barrier to protect my feelings.

"Are you sure it's that? Or is it you just being insecure about yourself?"

' _Hm.'_ That was a thought.

"Who knows." I said to no one in particular, wondering that myself. It could very well be me overthinking things. Definitely wouldn't be the first time.

Those reports in my office would be a good distraction.

* * *

"You didn't have to make me anything Sasuke."

"But I did anyways." Sasuke replied, placing a mug of hot cocoa in front of me. After observing my sweet tooth (and the fact that I never ordered anything with coffee at cafes when I managed to drag him to one), Sasuke bought a bright pink mug and hot cocoa to make when I was over. Imagining Sasuke at the store, standing in line, buying a hello kitty mug brought a snicker to my face.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that pink wasn't my favorite color.

I hid a smile while taking a sip with my pink mug.

"You're so sweet." I complimented.

"Just don't tell anyone; I have a reputation to uphold." Sasuke replied

"Reputation?" I questioned teasingly.

"Of being a badass. No one else has to know I'm capable of nice. It'd be too exhausting." He said with feign seriousness. A smirk slipped on his face.

I let out a giggle.

His smirk grew into a small smile in response, sitting next to me with a plate of eggs with hot sauce on top. I'd stayed over last night (a reoccurring theme since getting together) and brought my own bagels and cream cheese to eat in the morning. ' _Bagels brought us together after all. Almost poetic really.'_ Spending the mornings at the kitchen table and talking before work felt like a normal routine.

' _I'll miss it.'_ I thought, propping my elbow on the table and leaning the side of my face into my hand. Watching Sasuke eat while go through his emails, I smiled sadly. He was so handsome; my hand rose to wipe away a glop of hot sauce on the edge of his mouth. I felt him lean into my touch just the slightest. He didn't look intimidating eating his eggs and telling me about the old lady who 'reached' for his gun just the other day; Sasuke looked human. Open, normal, and at times vulnerable. For all the things people had told me about him, being with him now made me realize how silly high school rumors were. I should've given him a chance and stayed back in the day.

I wasn't going to let him go that easily. I'd go the distance for Sasuke Uchiha. Even if it meant he lived 20 hours away and they only time I'd see his face was through Skype. If Sasuke was willing to try, what mattered was the connection we shared. Ino was right; I spent so much time doubting my worth that I assumed Sasuke would do the same, but he always made me feel comfortable and good about myself.

So, we never talked about it. Sasuke and I just continued on without acknowledging it, even though it was in the back of my mind every day. The next two weeks were both blissful and pensive.

* * *

"Hey, some friends are going to be coming by to hang since I'm leaving tomorrow." Sasuke told me while walking out to his jeep after a movie. I frowned. This was Sasuke's last night; I didn't want to share him. But I wasn't going to say no if his friends wanted to see him. After all, I'd have him all to myself in the morning.

"Okay. Can we stop by my place so I can get a change of clothes?" I asked. Sasuke took the familiar route to my apartment, taking hold of my hand at a stop light and causing my heart to melt. All of it was so bittersweet and I had to savor every last drop.

Technically Sasuke didn't have to show up until Monday, but he liked to be prepared. He was leaving a day early to get his apartment in Suna set up. I wanted to go with him and stretch our time together just a bit more, but I'd been slacking on those reports Tsunade wanted me to do since I was trying to be with Sasuke as much as I could. Sunday would be filled with paperwork, sadness, and binge eating sweets to get rid of the sour taste in my mouth Sasuke's promotional training had given me.

Sasuke kept the jeep running while I ran into the building. The doorman Sasuke threatened so long ago (but not really) waved and winked as I zoomed by. When I received that letter at my apartment I denied Sasuke being my boyfriend. And now here I was staying over at his house so often that I needed to pack a duffel bag every week. Dust was starting collect in my apartment.

Darting into my room, I grabbed a clean change of clothes. Things were starting to get cooler as the day went by so I needed warmer clothes. Where was my favorite forest green hoodie? I searched around the edge of the bed. ' _I could've sworn I just washed and set it here to hang up later. Ah ha!'_

My favored hoodie was over by the dresser, not on my unused bed. I snatched it like it was the last TV on black Friday and hooked the duffel bag around my arm, only pausing my sprint to lock the front door.

As soon as a few of Sasuke's friends showed up I turned into a shadow. I was starting to get agitated, actually. True, his friends wouldn't be able to see him either once he moved but I felt ignored. To the point where I was just hanging around near Sasuke and curiously surfing my phone out of boredom. Suigetsu along with two other guys had come by for some goodbye shots and reminiscing. I didn't care much to partake in the drinking and just smiled in the background. A couple of times I caught Sasuke looking at me with a strange look in his eye, but he hadn't talked to me much. Honestly, it was like I wasn't even there or part of the group.

' _If it was my place I'd just ask them to leave, but it'd be rude to ask that of Sasuke.'_

Trying to be considerate, I sucked it up and continued pretending to enjoy myself for another hour. But as more shots went down, my irritation went up and I walked into the adjoining living room to sit on the couch. ' _I know he wants to see his friends but he doesn't have to act like I'm not here.'_

Maybe I should leave; why did he ask me to stick around if he didn't want me here? Guys nights were fine but why did it have to be tonight? I just wanted one quiet moment with Sasuke. Quality time that assured me that things would be alright and that I meant something to him. A deeper conversation before we were physically split apart.

Just like I told Ino, all the progress toward a deeper connection had halted and I didn't know how to jump-start it. The pathway wasn't broken, but if it stretched anymore I feared that it would tear and break. Sasuke hadn't even left yet.

A shout alerted me to a new presence in the room.

All four men stumbled into the room, obviously drunk. Suigetsu heavily slapped a hand on my shoulder and I was tempted to swat him off. His hand gave my shoulder a squeeze before he clumsily sat down on the floor. One of the other guys with brown hair took the opportunity to knock Suigetsu over, then they started arguing and engaged in a playful slap fight. I rolled my eyes.

The cushion next to me sank as Sasuke not so gracefully sat next to me (although he was handling his alcohol much better than the others). He was incredibly close, bumping his chest against my shoulder, and for the first time I got annoyed by him invading my space. I needed to say something.

I opened my mouth with the intent to sternly tell him I was leaving, but stopped when I caught his eyes.

His normally onyx eyes were dusty and almost charcoal with the smallest hint of midnight blue. His eyebrows knitted as he searched my face, mouth caught between a smile and frown. He looked nervous and troubled about something.

"I was gonna wait to tell you this until tomorrow." He started.

My body went numb, with my heart trying to escape my rib cage and hide under the couch where Sasuke couldn't reach. ' _Uh oh. No no no no.'_ I panicked. I needed to distract him and hopefully he wouldn't make a rash decision while under alcohol influence. If he was gonna do what I thought he was going to...I couldn't bear it.

"Sasuke, maybe we can talk about this tomorrow-" I tried to convince him, putting my arms around his neck. But it didn't stop him.

He grabbed my waist, sweeping the top part of my body in his lap.

"I think I love you." He breathed.

* * *

 **BAM! Suprise love confession, and from Sasuke no less!**


End file.
